Animal Instinct
by TheWaywardKid
Summary: As Judy and Nick celebrate their victory over Bellwether and begin to move on toward the future, they discover their lives may involve each other even more than they'd ever realized. But as fears and insecurities are unwittingly exposed, one of the pair begins acting strangely... When the situation appears to spiral, are things going to go too far? (Suggestive scenes, not explicit)
1. Guilty As Charged

**AUTHOR'S PREFACE:**

 **Dear Reader,**

 **Out of respect for your interests, I'd like to take a minute to inform you as to what to expect from this Fan-Fiction. That way, you can decide if this journey is one in which you'd like to invest your time. If you couldn't care less, feel free to skip this text.**

" **Animal Instinct" is a romantic drama, mostly focusing on the romance in the first half and the drama in the second. The first half is very "slice-of-life", and I feel the slower pace is crucial to organically transitioning the characters into the faster, more plot-focused second half. The story is completed, so you won't be left hanging!**

 **The plot is simple, although certain driving factors are kept mostly hidden from the reader until later. When the drama begins to hit (and hit hard), please trust that I prepared for it! There is a resolution, for which I planted the seeds earlier in the story. It won't turn into a tragedy and/or grimdark. I know it's a lot to ask, but unfortunately a bit of trust is essential for the story to work the way it does in the end.**

 **There used to be a couple brief, somewhat steamy, R-rated scenes in the story. (They weren't pornographic.) However, I have since toned down the version of this story that is posted on this site, and have lowered the "M" rating down to a "T". There is still quite a bit of innuendo, however, and a couple "fade-to-black" moments. If you wish to see the original version, it is now posted to my account on AO3.**

 **As with what would be expected with a Fan-Fiction, expect numerous references to movie material, plenty of animal puns, and a nice helping of glorious WildeHopps. (As a final tidbit: I never found a proper point in the story to reference it, but the story title is borrowed from the song "Animal Instinct" by The Cranberries.)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-TheWaywardKid**

* * *

CHAPTER ONE:

" _GUILTY AS CHARGED"_

* * *

Nick's body had begun to give out from underneath him, his two bloody paws holding him up against the ZPD vehicle. The bright light shining on the fox was blaring, unforgiving. His head rang loudly. Warm liquid ran down his bare back as his body began writhing in agony. With a strident screech, his claws dug into the metal as he crumpled to the ground. Somewhere behind him, also on the ground, was Judy...

 _I'm..._ he thought, his mind clawing to keep its precarious grasp on reality.

 _I'm...!_

[TWO WEEKS EARLIER]

"...Guilty!"

Nick sat at the bar with his trademark smug smile. It had been a few hours since the court's verdict, but the triumphant moment played on repeat within the tod's head. After months of waiting and weeks of court, Bellwether had finally been tried and convicted. The "Missing Mammals" case, arguably one of the worst and best things ever to happen to him, had officially been laid to rest.

 _With a surprisingly satisfying conclusion,_ he relished inwardly.

He tossed one of the Cajun-roasted crickets from the plate in front of him into his mouth, bringing his jaws together with a visceral crunch. Nick's ears slightly tilted back as he half-consciously looked at the plate with disappointment. _They don't give you nearly enough of these..._

Nick's ears flicked back up; a sudden raucous erupted from a table next to the bar. The squad had all come to celebrate after work, and at this very moment many moans and cheers bellowed throughout the establishment as money was passed between paws. A decidedly jubilant bunny had just bested a particular rhino for the second time in their lives, this time in an altogether different way.

Nick's smile slid into an amused smirk, his cheek coming to rest on his paw.

"Since when have you been such a _lush_ , Carrots?" he called out in a somewhat mocking (yet also slightly proud) tone of voice.

More laughter bubbled from the group at his inquiry (except from the rhino, who was too busy looking like he was about to be sick).

"Pretty much since always!" came the characteristically cheery reply. "I did grow up in Bunnyburrow, after all! I mean, what with all the _engagements_ , and the _weddings_ , and the _births_ , and the _birthdays_ , and then how could you forget about the _Kitceañeras -_ that's when a bunny's had their fifteenth litter, in case some of you didn't know – and of course the _harvest festival_ , ummmm..."

Judy had lost herself in her ramble, frozen with her eyes tilted up in thought and her paws counting each item on her list. With a jolt Nick had to admit was nothing but adorable, the rabbit's train of thought found its tracks again. "Right! Yeahhhh... there was pretty much _always_ a good excuse to have a few! You got used to it. Why do you ask, Mr. Wilde? Did you want to have a go...?"

Wearing a confident, mischievous grin Judy motioned to the position across from her currently occupied by a hunched-over rhinoceros. The pitiful creature tilted his head up at Nick with desperate eyes and subtly, pointedly shook his head. "Ain't my style, Toot-Toot!" chuckled Nick. "You know that."

He took a noisily long sip from his Dr. Heifer, staring straight at her in playful defiance. Judy rolled her eyes in a disgusted sigh. "For goodness' sake, Nick! Take those aviators off already! You're _inside_! They make you look like a -"

"- stunningly handsome, charming, and distinguished vulpine specimen!" he cut her off, putting his paw to his chest as he sat up straight in a mock-classy manner. "Not to brag."

One "pft!" from the rabbit, and she went back to basking in her glorious victory, somewhat-tipsy chuckles being had by all in the crowd.

Nick popped another crispy cricket into his mouth and resumed enjoying the scene from his slight distance. Much to everyone's surprise he had never been one for alcohol, and simply tended to order an appetizer and soda to fit in. If he were to be honest _– which, of course, would be never!_ he mentally joked – he didn't trust the stuff. Too easy to have a loose tongue. Too easy to get distracted. Too easy to lose control in a situation. His whole life had been focused on attempting to be the one holding all the cards at all times, and the tantalizing effects of booze, more often than not, seemed to directly conflict with that agenda.

Besides, he'd already offered to drive Carrots home.

As the evening went on he continued to watch and relax from his safe edge of the circle, occasionally butting in to make some display of wit or sarcasm (often at the slight expense of some unfortunate mammal's ego). Nick had to admit, despite still not feeling fully comfortable with being part of a group – _especially on the other side of the law!_ – this was perhaps the most content and safest he'd felt in a very long time.

 _...Clawhauser's making a killing!_ he also dutifully noted, reminding himself to be careful should he ever find himself betting with the gregarious cheetah. Judy had finally called it quits (not wanting to get wasted), and the crowd had been rotating in and out ever since. Clawhauser, somehow an expert at judging mammals, was, shall we say, _spot on_ with every bet?

 _I guess it figures. Getting to know mammals is practically his job, after all. And gossip his hobby._

" _There's_ those emerald eyes!" sprang a feminine voice beside him, interrupting his hitherto sanctified personal bubble of thoughts.

A moment of personal shock barely made its way onto Nick's face as he realized he was no longer wearing his aviators; his ears flicked back, his pupils slightly narrowed, and his mouth was barely open. The moment, in reality, was infinitesimal in length. Nonetheless to the wily fox it was significant, and he found himself incredibly grateful that Judy's drink-slowed state at least appeared to have missed it. He couldn't figure out precisely _when_ he must've subconsciously put his aviators away, just that he apparently _had_ and that he was disappointed in himself for so naturally obliging the previous request of this pesky doe. The power she somehow had begun to have over him was worrisome to his solitary instincts. But in just a blink he recovered, plastered a slyly amorous look to his face, and ran with the situation.

"Would you like a better look, Fluff? I hear they can be..." he turned his head toward her and leaned his face closer and closer to hers, his voice becoming rather sultry. "... _mesmerizing_."

...

...What Nick had been expecting was a startled recoil, followed by a rather forceful punch to the arm. Instead his partner did indeed appear to be mesmerized – eyes subtly shifting, pupils widening, and nose twitching. He barely noticed her neck muscles tightening in a swallow. Nick attempted to hold the act, appall her when she came to her senses and realized what she was doing, but all of a sudden he found the situation incredibly awkward.

His collar felt hot.

His ears burned.

His mouth filled with warm saliva.

Eyebrows suddenly furrowed with worry, ears splayed flat with embarrassment, the fox skittishly tapped his friend on the shoulder. "Um... Uh, Carrots? You, uh, do... realize that, uh..."

"Mm?"

There was a brief... _something_ in her expression? In this unexpectedly disarmed state, he'd completely missed it! But he knew it was there... or was it? Was he imagining it? His head was running in circles. Had somebody spiked his drink without him knowing? They _wouldn't_. They couldn't! But it had to be the explanation, right? His head wasn't thinking straight. That _had_ to be it. _Alcohol_. But he'd finished his drink a while ago. Wouldn't it have kicked in by now? In fact, was _anything_ out of the ordinary happening _at all_?

He blinked, realizing that he was staring straight into the purple eyes of what was now a bunny with a _very_ seductive look on her face.

"Oh, Nicholas Wilde... It's called a _hustle_ , sweetheart...!"

And with that, the rabbit was back to her recognizable self, howling with laughter. Nick's jaw was agape for only a moment, then quickly slammed shut. His eyes narrowed, and he poked the rabbit with his paw. "That's not funny...!"

"Oh, but it is!" her paw rubbing an eye, trying to stifle the laughter (but failing miserably). "You actually thought you _had_ me!"

"It could happen." he shrugged, somehow smugly.

"Yeah, right!"

Nick struck a pose, rubbing a paw over his head, ears, and down his neck. "Hey! I'll have you know I'm a dangerously sexy beast, with a positively _scandalous_ reputation. It's not _my_ fault you couldn't resist my roguish charms! It's okay. You can admit it. It's normal."

Judy raised an eyebrow with a smirk that reeked of confidence, as though she were about to win a chess match. "I dunno' Nick... It kinda' sounds like you _wanted_ to seduce me..."

His entire body went stiff. His pupils were like pin-pricks, jaw clenched, ears at full attention, paws waiving. "Buh, uh! Wait. No! Carrots! That's not what I-"

And out came the carrot pen, that most blessed and damned of trinkets: _"It could happen."_

The poor fox's words turned to pure gibberish as they tripped over themselves. Judy's eyes squinted, gleaming with an almost _evil_ satisfaction. She rewound the tape and played it again, making sure his words hit home.

" _It could happen."_

Oh, if Judy could've counted the stutters and conflicting facial contortions of her partner, it probably would've been a world record! This time her laughter was incomprehensible. The bunny had to hold onto the bar counter to keep from falling off her stool, only managing to point at his face before starting all over again. Nick began to question if she was going to pass out from her inability to breath, his face and ears burning so hot from embarrassment he thought the whole bar might feel him radiating. Finally, mercifully, Judy began to catch her breath. Nick's ears were turned back, his eyes half open in the best "I'm not amused" face he could muster.

"Are we done yet, _Fluff_?" he said arms crossed, monotone.

"Oh! Ho... Hah!" She was still struggling to catch her breath. "You... you _really_ should see your face sometime when you're flustered! It is simply one of the _cuuuutest_ things I have ever seen!"

"I thought you hated that word." Again, monotone.

"Only when it's used on _me._ " She pointed a paw in his general direction, having to look away and choke down an impending laugh. " _You_ on the other paw... fair game."

Judy looked back at Nick's face, giggled, and lightly punched him in the arm. "Wow, what a grumpy face, Slick! Geez! That must really take some effort! You foxes... _So emotional!_ "

"...Aaaaaaand, kiss!"

Judy and Nick both froze, senses slammed back into full alert. Clawhauser sheepishly looked up from his recording smartphone, suddenly feeling very exposed. He hadn't exactly meant to say that _out loud_...

The pair's heads slowly turned to face the now-fidgeting cheetah, the tod's in particular looking deadly calm. Not missing a beat, Nick smoothly put his aviators back on and tapped Judy on the back.

" _Sic_ 'em, girl."

Laying lazily against the bar, Nick kept his gaze perfectly straight as the two ran back and forth across his vision screaming comically. But, by the increasingly painful sounds coming from the cheetah, it was clear who was soon to emerge victorious. Ending in one last anguished attempt to escape, Clawhauser inevitably collapsed, heaving, back in front of Nick. Judy held out her paw, foot thumping rapidly. Clawhauser meekly looked up with his last breath of courage. "You... can't... take... it... from... me...!"

It was then that the fox gave a satisfied chuckle, breaking his stoic silence in the struggle. "I hate to break it to ya' Spots, but uh..."  
He pulled the item in contention out of his pocket and gave it a taunting wiggle.

"...I already _have_ the phone! So without further ado... M'lady?"

With a flare of drama, Nick pawed the phone over to Judy. "Would you care to do the honors?"

"Why thank you kind sir..." the rabbit said with a pleased nod, "...Certainly! What a gentlemammal!"

With a fateful tap of the paw on the "Delete" button, all of Clawhauser's current hopes and dreams were mercilessly butchered in one traumatic moment. Crushed, the sad cheetah took his phone back and dragged himself elsewhere in the bar, muttering about the cuteness that once was and would never be again...

The contented fox and bunny breathed a sigh of relief as they enjoyed the winding down of activity. Time passed, allowing the excitement to fade from the celebratory squad. Nick put his aviators away and gave a glance at his partner, who had just expelled an adorable, squeaky yawn. "Gettin' about time to head home, Fluff?"

"Yeah... I'm beat! If that's alright with you?" Judy gave an inquisitive glance back at Nick, who nodded. "I'm just going to head to the little doe's room first, then we can skedaddle."

"Want me to _tag along_?" cooed Nick as she walked away. Receiving a deliciously repulsed huff, he continued: "Oh! But we could _gossip_ , and do our _claws_ , and talk about all the _males_ we've been eyeing!"

 _Nick, my boy! I do believe that is the first time she's flipped you off!_ he congratulated himself. _Score one for the fox!_

But as was usually the case, his sarcastic exterior was just a front. The moment the door to the restroom closed, the formerly confident predator exploded into a frantic blur of orange fur. Practically ripping his smartphone from his pocket, Nick hastily began downloading the video he'd secretly sent himself during the earlier commotion.

 _I know I saw something!_ panicked the tod. _But what was it...?_


	2. The Evidence

CHAPTER TWO:

" _THE EVIDENCE"  
_

* * *

Judy didn't really need to use the restroom, a fact that frankly surprised her given how much she'd imbibed this evening.

No. She needed to sort her thoughts.  
With a now-experienced ease, the doe locked herself in a stall and hopped up onto the massive one-size-fits-all seat without falling into the bowl (a motion that, given her history, felt like a small victory each and every time she did it). Shoving her face into her paws, she allowed herself to groan with frustration.

 _What in cheese's name are you doing to yourself, Jude?_ she began to chastise herself. _So you had a little to drink. Nothing new! And Nick was being... Nick! Also nothing new! See? There you go! There's nothing new all around! End of story! It's not like he hasn't been flirtatious before..._

But that was. In fact. _The_ problem.

And she knew it too.

Judy punched herself on the thigh. Nick's obnoxious charm had _always_ had the occasional flirtatious side with her; it was a habit which made him even more endearing to her (as juvenile as it tended to be). She'd always blindly accepted it as a part of their banter! Never had she read more into it, and she didn't want to start now.

 _Good going on that, by the way._ she reluctantly admitted. _Definitely not reading more into it now, are we? You're just answering the call of nature. With your paws clutching your ears. And your pants still up. And not actually, you know, using the restroom._

She breathed out slowly...

What if he liked her? What if, after all this time, Nick Wilde had _actually_ been hitting on her? Doing his thing, hiding his emotions behind a thick wall of smarmy wit and flattery? The concept wouldn't be entirely out of reason, after all. They'd been posted to keep the peace at "Mating Equality" marches before... A predator being into prey wasn't exactly unheard of, although fairly rare in interspecies relationships if those rallies were any indication. But a fox courting a rabbit?

 _Okay, let's be logical about this, Jude._ she reasoned as she flattened her paws out in the air in front of her, forcing herself into "cop mode". _Is there any evidence to support your suspicions?_

Well... he'd forgiven her after the press conference when he had no good reason to...

And he'd refused to leave her when she'd injured her leg in the museum...

And he'd given up his lucrative hustling gig for her...

And he'd fought through months of training at the Academy to become her partner, assuring he was with her all day every day...

 _Nick likes you, Jude._

Her ears shot up like a rocket, a sharp gasp ringing loudly within the otherwise-vacant restroom as her paws clutched her mouth in surprise. Her face and ears flushed hotly with embarrassment.

 _No! No he doesn't!_

But yes. Yes he did.

Clearly.

She'd done the math.

 _Yes... I... I think Nick does..._

Her ears drooped in sudden despair as her battling thoughts finally settled on the obvious conclusion, her arms crossing her chest for comfort. Her partner was interested in her. It terrified her. It was wrong.

 _No, not wrong. Don't judge him. You can't lose him again._

And _that_ was the real reason for her worry. This was... unexpected. Unfortunate. Unsettling. The idea that the fox might want something more tied her stomach in knots. Here he was, the best friend she'd ever had and easily the best part of moving to Zootopia, and she was going to have to devastate him. Again. Intentionally this time. And what was she going to say when she did? That she was a rabbit, and just couldn't be interested in a fox?

 _Yeah, like that wouldn't be taken exactly how it sounds..._

Judy closed her eyes, quickly becoming overwhelmed by the stress of impending doom. There was no way out of this mess. She was going to lose a partner and, more importantly, her best friend. She loved him dearly... She simply _couldn't_ lose her fox!

...But it was his emotions against hers.

 _Actually... it's your own emotions against yours! BOOM._

In an instant the doe's face and emotions changed channels, completely forgetting all about her pain in favor of stunned confusion. Her thoughts had just conned themselves, and her entire internal monologue replayed itself in front of her eyes:

Stomach in _knots_...

 _Best_ part of moving to Zootopia...

She _loved_ him...

 _Her_ fox...

Judy physically jumped backward as though she'd taken a blow, barely catching herself from falling into the toilet bowl with one outstretched paw. This had never been about Nick! _She_ was the one sitting in a restroom, over-analyzing every detail of their relationship! _She_ was the one coming to terms with the idea of an interspecies relationship! (And now that she thought about it, had she ever been interested in a normal one?) Nick's habits, in fact, had never changed at all. It was indeed her thoughts _about_ the fox which had changed...

 _I... I like Nick. I can't believe it...!_

The rabbit's nose twitched, her whole body beginning to feel antsy. She didn't know what to do with her arms or her legs. Her ears kept scanning the restroom for any sound. Butterflies filled her stomach to make a nauseating concoction. Finally, she looked up in horror at the stall door as she realized she still had to ride home with the handsome tod.

 _...Jude, you are one dumb bunny._

* * *

 _98 percent... 99 percent..._

…

 _99 percent..._

…

 _Still 99 percent..._

...

 _100 percent!_

The loading bar finished filling, indicating the video was ready to play. Flicking a furtive glance toward the restroom doors, Nick made sure the coast was clear before he began watching Clawhauser's paparazzi footage. The duo's little scene began to play out in all its awkward glory, steadily approaching the pivotal moment when the fox's world unwittingly got turned upside down.

"I hear they can be... _mesmerizing_!" played the recording.

Nick licked his dry lips, eyes fixed on the screen. He refused to blink. He wasn't going to miss it:

"Mm?"

 _There_! There it was! There was the moment! It was quick, it was subtle, but it was there! Nick suddenly felt like all the eyes in the bar had begun to stare at him, when really the opposite was true. Doing an uncharacteristically terrible job at looking natural and composed, Nick's head swiveled to scan the whole room before locking back onto his little screen. Surely his poor performance should have shamed him, but the fox was too preoccupied with rewinding the video and playing it again to notice or care.

"Mm?"

 _What was THAT, Carrots!?_ he thought in hopeless agitation. _What in all that is holy am I supposed to make of that!? Sincerity? Confusion? Planning? Give me a little more to go on here, for crust's sake!_

For the third time, Nick began to watch the video. He'd been a hustler. A street-mammal. Reading mammals had been his bread-and-butter. His forté. For the first time in years he had been met with a puzzle he couldn't immediately solve. The video was scraping at his skull, trying to dig itself into his brain. The feeling was positively excruciating.

The fox felt like he'd gone blind.

"Mm?"

 _Did she play me? Is that it?_ The fox began to ponder, a digit of his paw resting on his lip. _If so, that was an excellent bluff. Masterful, even. There were so many layers that... No... No no no. That's not it. There's no way she has the skills to pull something like that off. You've seen her acting skills, Slick._

"Mm?"

 _See? Yeah. That right there? Not intentional._ The fox relaxed slightly, a bit more confident now that it was clear he totally had her going. _Good turnaround, though. Quick... Well-played... Color me impressed, Fluff! Maybe you can be taught, after all!_

"Mm?"

This time the video made sense. Pride washed itself over Nick. He _had_ had her going! He knew his charms were too good! Sure, he'd accidentally allowed her to turn it against him. It happens to the best. But he hadn't been so dumb as to fall for some nonexistant, ellaborate trap. Regardless of his stumble, he'd successfully messed with her. He'd made the straight-and-narrow bunny, if only briefly, become enchanted with a _fox_ of all species! This was too good!  
 _Nick, my main male... You are one smooth mammal!_

"It kinda' sounds like you _wanted_ to seduce me..."

 _Wait what._ The fox's ears plastered themselves to the back of his wide-eyed head. Had he? He _had_! With a nervous gulp Nick turned his attention back to the video, which had continued to play when he'd lost himself in self-congratulation. He swiped back in the timeline, the video conveniently freezing on a humiliating moment – him staring at her eyes, dumbstruck, mouth agape, tongue barely showing. _Oh... Oh, no. You know that look. Oh, how many naïve idiots have you seen with that look? We promised ourselves! We said we'd never have it! That look. Right there. That is one hopeless mammal, right there._

Nick closed his eyes, relaxed, and indulged himself in a good chuckle. He'd lived most his life as one hopeless mammal! This was just a new kind of hopeless. A better kind. Something he could manage. In fact, now that he'd got to the bottom of things, this revelation didn't bother him in the slightest. The fox could handle secrets and had lived a life of rejection. Only when he didn't know where he stood was he truly unnerved; he could play any paw he was dealt just so long as he knew what cards he was holding.

 _In this case, not a great paw_. he mused. _You gotta' know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em..._

Nick rubbed the back of his scruff, pondering his predicament. At that moment Judy reemerged from the restroom and gave him a wave as she pitter-pattered her way back to him. "All set to go, Judy?" he casually inquired.

...

There was a fleeting beat of silence as both their expressions froze in time at the unexpected use of her real name. Time returned to the two mammals just as quickly, both incredibly thankful that neither made any motion to acknowledge what just happened. "Whenever you are!" she replied.

"Great." said Nick, throwing himself off his chair as he turned to call out to the rest of the squad. "We're headin' out!"

The two got waves in reply. Nick remembered something. "Oh! Hey Bogo-Stick...! Six o'clock tomorrow, right?"

Chief Bogo's grunt was affirmative, although clearly not amused at the nickname Nick was determined to make stick. The fox put on a grin as the other officers laughed at Bogo's expense. He'd drudged up old photos of the precinct from back in the day, and to his delight he'd discovered one of a much younger, newly-recruited Bogo who had looked _definitively scrawnier_. He'd spent the better part of one morning _sharing_ that photo...

"Don't be late, fox."

"Sir, yes sir! I wouldn't dream of it, sir! But for now..." he wiggled the digits of his paws at the room. "...Toodles!"

With that, the fox swaggered out of the bar. Judy took a breath, raised a digit of her paw, and was about to say something. But she thought better of it, bit her tongue, pointed at the door, and followed him out into the warm night air.


	3. They Get To You

CHAPTER THREE:

" _THEY GET TO YOU"  
_

* * *

"Do you _have_ to egg him on like that?" Judy half-asked-half-pleaded a few paces away from the bar. The two were heading toward Nick's car at the back of the parking lot.

" _Ooooooohhhh,_ yes." came Nick's voice a few paces ahead, savoring each word like they were fresh-picked blueberries from the family farm.

Judy huffed, indignant. "Because, you know... You put _me_ in the line of fire as well. I don't need to be dragged into whatever messes your foxy male ego is concocting up in... _there_." She haphazardly waved her paws up at his stupid, wonderful head.

"Oh, I'm sorry Fluff! I didn't mean to _drag_ you into anything! Heaven knows nobody should be _dragged_ into other mammals' problems!" Judy could see the fox's delightfully obnoxious grin, even from her place slightly behind him. He raised two digits of his paw. "Two words: Missing... Mammals."

 _...Touch_ _é._

"Besides..." The fox glanced back at her. "... _every_ mammal needs their ego knocked down a peg every now and again."

The rabbit rolled her eyes and placed her paws on her hips. She looked up at him with a grin, her voiced laced with sarcasm. "Certainly every mammal but _yourself_ , of course."

The tod playfully feigned indignation. "Why, Officer Hopps! I daresay it sounds as though you're insuniating I'm sort of... of... _vain ruffian_! I take offense at the very _notion_! To think, an officer of the law could be so prejudiced against foxes... Tsk, tsk! Sad times." Nick shook his head in mock-disappointment.

Judy laughed, riled in just the right way. "Oh _bull_ -"

"- and now bulls, too!" Nick masterfully interrupted, paws in the air. "Just what _has_ the world come to..."

Scurrying up next to him, Judy slugged Nick in the side. A yelp was elicited from the fox, who proceeded to rub his side for comfort. "Ow! Geez, Carrots! That hurts, you know..."

"It's supposed to, you cry-baby." Judy gave her partner a look very similar to the kind a mother gives a kit after having properly taught them a lesson. Pleased with the resigned look she was awarded in return, Judy turned her attention forward toward the tan convertable they'd made their way to. Nick slid ahead and opened the passenger door for her in a disingenuously chivalrous fashion.

"Hop in, Hopps."

Judy gave him a knowing look, but decided it wasn't worth the banter. Thanking him just as insincerely, she got into the seat and buckled herself in as he closed the door. It was too late. She hadn't caught the twinkle in his eye. In a flash her world was full of orange fur and green tropical shirt as Nick leapt over the top of her door, clambering over her vocally-protesting rabbit body to get to his seat. Once there the dumb fox acted like nothing was out of the ordinary, simply brushing his shirt straight again before putting the keys into the ignition. Judy puffed. " _Rude_."

Nick gave her a sly look out of the corner of his eye (clearly satisfied) and started the car. Judy found herself thankful the fox's attention had switched to pulling out of the parking lot; she needed a moment to recover from the unanticipated physical contact. Judy found her heart racing and her breathing quick. Her mind lingered on his intoxicating scent, which had just filled her nostrils seconds prior. Heat came to her ears. Taking charge, Judy focused on the rush of fresh night air blowing around the car, allowing it to wash away her current state.

 _Ahhhh... That's better. Don't do that to yourself, Jude._

After a few more minutes, they'd made it to the freeway. Judy wore a face of ease, pleased with the night overall. Sure, she'd freaked herself out – her epiphany was a lot to take in, after all! But she'd put the bad guy away for good, celebrated with her friends, and was now sitting happily next to her favorite fox on a warm, serene evening. Somewhere in the distance a siren echoed, making her glad she wasn't on duty. _Just this once, we can let something be somebody else's problem._

"So... Bellwether is guilty as charged." Nick started the conversation back up, recalling the exciting news of the day.

"I wasn't worried about that, but..." Judy scratched at her right ear. "...it really takes a weight off, you know? Knowing that it's finally, officially behind us?"

"Yeahhhh..." the fox trailed off, paused, then continued. "Yeah. I guess it does. Which is great, don't get me wrong. Fantastic, even! But I hate to break it to you, Carrots... _it_ isn't close to over. The case, sure. Which is a big deal, but..."

The fox trailed off again, clearly not knowing how to continue without sounding like a damp towel in the conversation. Judy thought she saw the direction he was going but, still a little lost, looked at him with curiosity. "What do you mean? We finished the case..."

"Exactly. One case. It's a step in the right direction..." Nick's right paw gesticulated randomly as he talked, his left keeping a good grip on the wheel. "...But ever think about _why_ that became a case to begin with? The problem's still there, Carrots. We've beat it back, bruised it... But Bellwether was _one_ mammal out of millions. She had to have support to get away with it, more than the few we managed to catch. Her operation was too complex. I'm sure most weren't directly to blame – mammals who looked the other way – but she _had_ to have more help than we found, right? Am I crazy?"

No. No, he wasn't crazy. Her cop instincts began to churn in the back of her head. "Sounds like you already have some ideas, Slick. Care to share with the class?"

"Are you sure?" he tentatively asked. "I don't want to kill the mood, here."

"Whatever. You make a good point. I'm interested." She shrugged. "I can't resist a lead if I try. So... who we thinkin'?"

Nick paused. "Well... we can't rule out the possibility of the _Clan's_ involvement..."

 _The way he said that name..._ "What? The Coo Clucks Clan? Aren't they dying out?"

"Fleeing to the shadows, is more like it. Just because they can't be as open about their prey supremacy these days doesn't mean they still don't believe it, Hopps. It's not like there aren't Henhouses still tucked away throughout the city." Nick pointed at the city randomly, for emphasis. "I'd imagine they'd still have the proper infrastructure in place. _And_ they'd be getting desperate."

Judy remembered the CCC from her childhood history classes... Never had she actually heard of their operations in modern times. Henhouses were what they had called their bases of operation. "Not to get off topic, but... I never understood their fascination with chickens. It makes it hard to take them seriously."

By the look on her partner's face, it was clear he took them _very_ seriously. His sigh said it all: She'd lived a sheltered life. She winced. Judy could see him physically resist the urge to sound patronizing. "It's... a _symbol_ , Carrots. It's supposed to represent what all you prey apparently _are_ to us predators. As I'm sure a small animal like yourself has probably noticed your whole life, we predators _do_ still eat meat. But only bugs, seafood, and -"

"- and _poultry_." she finished for him. "Got it. Still a dumb theme."

"Noted." he laughed at her stubborn insistence. "Still, what else were they going to pick? Shrimp?"

"Okay, fair, but what makes you think they'd do something so rash _now_?" she asked, getting back on topic.

"Eh, a hunch." he shrugged.

"Yes, but..." she continued. "...like any good cop I'll respect a hunch, but... I always thought they were all bark and no bite, you know? At least these days. The Clan hasn't been a thing for _years_. Can you think of anything they've done? Anything they've _really_ done, I mean. At any point in our lives? They're a joke, now! It's not like they-"

"They killed my dad."

...

 _What...?_ Judy's ears drooped in abrupt, overwhelming pity. The rabbit knew he'd grown up without a father, but... She immediately regretted what she'd just said. Moisture coated her eyes, her gaze slowly turning to look at her poor fox. There was that look, just like they were back on the gondola in the Rainforest District. He had said it so plainly, it almost would've been easy to pass the moment by. Almost. _They... they..._

"Nick, I-"

"Drive-by. Some sort of initiation thing." His breath was held, composure surprisingly intact.

"Nick..." Judy reached out carefully, putting her paw on his arm. This time the fox didn't shake her off, letting the comfort linger. There was nothing to say. After what felt like minutes, Nick finally exhaled, his breath slow and shaky.

"...Thanks, Judy."

And with a shiver from her fox, his face was back to normal.

The moment had passed.


	4. Face The Music

**Author's Note: This chapter originally included lyrics to a song. The lyrics have since been removed to better follow the rules of this website, as well as allow me to submit the story to a Zootopia fan website for review.**

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR:

" _FACE THE MUSIC"_

* * *

"Brr! How 'bout that awkward silence, 'eh Carrots?" Nick bluntly joked, attempting to reroute the mood. He'd never intended on baring his soul. "Tell you what. Go ahead and plug your iPawd in. I'll let you sully this beautiful car with your trashy music, just this once. Deal?"

"Har har."

He caught a glimpse of the rabbit wiping the back of a paw against one of her eyes. At least her ears were standing back up. _Good. It's working._

"But no Packstreet Boys... or Mice Girls!"

"Deal." Judy looked up at him with her head tilted, smiling at him. The tod wore the most sincere smile he'd had in a very long time. He felt a warmth spread through his body, immense pride filling his chest at having successfully cheered up his little bunny. He watched as Judy connected the adaptor to her device and tapped a song. The speakers found their voice:

"This time. I wonder what it feels like. To find the one in this life..."

Nick gasped in playful horror. "Oh... oh no! No...! Fluff! Carrots! Toot-toot! Not _you_. Not _this_! You don't seriously listen to _this_ do you? Come on. Don't do this to me. Not _Silverback_."

Judy's head was bobbing, her smile now wore an edge of defiance. "That wasn't the deal, Slick." Encouraged by the tod's exasperated groan, the doe turned the volume up and began – terribly, loudly – singing along.

The bunny began flailing about adorably, air-drumming.

Nick couldn't help it – he burst out in deep, uncontrollable laughter. This was one of those situations, the kind in which you'd never envision yourself in a million years. Here he was, now a cop, driving home an air-drumming bunny with whom he was infatuated, being forced to listen to Silverback within the once-hallowed confines of his precious convertible. _Life is weird._

As cheesy as the lyrics were, the fox admitted how fitting they seemed in the current situation. Nice night, wind in their fur... He couldn't be enjoying this garbage, could he? No! He was just being analytical. Comparing like with like. Just because he could appreciate the appropriateness of the song... He'd already realized he was into prey tonight. This would be one step too far! The bunny had already ruined him in so many different ways, and he wasn't about to let this be one of them. If nothing else, the fox had his pride. _And my sharp visage. Let us not forget about that._

The lights of the city blurred by their car as the silver fur-ball gleefully embarrassed him as much as she could. Normally he'd protect his image to the death, but seeing her like this...? _This is worth it. Just this. If she can't like me back, it'll be... fine. It'll have to be. I can't lose this._

The doe, more perceptive than he would've liked, caught the moment his eyes turned from pleased to wistful. She stopped singing. "Hey there, Red."

"I'm not red, I'm orange." he corrected.

"You're kinda' red. I'm trying it out, seeing if it sticks." A tiny rabbit tongue stuck itself out at him.

Nick poked her shoulder with a paw. "Me thinks you should leave the nicknames to the professionals, Carrots. _Don't try this at home_ , and all that."

"...Hey. It'll be alright, okay?" She'd unfortunately decided to ignore his last bit; he had been trying to derail her. "You've got _me_ now. We're a team. We'll be there for each other."

Clearly the rabbit had thought he'd gone back to thinking about his past. But the sentiment was there, and that was what mattered. Before he could suck the words back in, the fox turned to her with full sincerity: "You're cute."

"...Excuse me?" Judy blushed. Nick caught the sight of her paws clenching. "Run that by me one more time?"

Against his better judgment, Nick doubled-down. "I said: _You're cute_. And I mean it." The fox was a marked mammal. He braced for impact.

...And the impact never came. (Rather anti-climactic if you asked him.) Instead, he got two precious words, so quiet he almost didn't hear them over the air blowing by: "Thank you."

The song faded, and before he realized it Nick was pulling into the parking garage beneath Judy's apartment building. He turned the car off. They sat in relative silence, something Nick's notorious mouth couldn't leave well enough alone. "Thank goodness. I thought my torture would never end!"

Judy smirked, one ear half bent. "Oh please. Popular music isn't gonna' kill you."

"Almost, Fluff. I saw my life flash before my eyes! I was _this_ close!" he hovered two digits close together for emphasis. "And here I thought you were trying to kill me with the Gazelle concert! Boy was _I_ wrong."

"What!" Judy's ears shot up with genuine surprise. "I saw your smile. You were having a _great_ time! Don't you change your story on _me_ , you sly fox. You _liked_ it!"

"I never liked the music, Judy. I liked..." Suddenly the fox's body was on fire. His chest hurt. He was breathing shallow, jaw clenched. He had intended to keep this a secret, to deal with it alone, but some unknown force convinced him to get it out of the way – rip the bandage off, consequences be damned. His ears slowly pressed back against his head, his voice going quiet. _I'm going to regret this..._

…

"...I liked _you_."


	5. Try Everything

**Author's Note: This chapter has been toned-down from its originally-released version, cutting roughly 500 words off of the end. That has been done to lower the maturity rating of the story so that I could submit it to a Zootopia fan website for review. I feel the original version wasn't X-rated, but it most certainly was R-rated. If you wish to see the original version of the story, it is posted to AO3. Just be warned that it is slightly more mature.  
**

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE:

" _TRY EVERYTHING"_

* * *

For the second time that evening, Judy's world had changed beneath her. "Nick-"

"And... and I'm sorry." Nick sheepishly gave her a soft, apologetic smile. His eyes were half closed. The look was very awkward on his face; it simply didn't fit, as genuine as it was. Somehow that made it all the more charming.

 _Is... is he serious?_ Judy's ears drooped, her mouth slightly open as though it wanted to speak. Her eyes kept scanning his face, left and right, looking for something to say. Why would he apologize? Because he was her friend? Maybe partially, but she never knew the fox to be worried about taking anything up a notch... Because he was her partner, then? No... he was sometimes a bit _too_ relaxed with some of the precinct's regulations, if anything. Then...

Her heart sank. After all, hadn't she thought the same thing herself earlier this evening? _Because he's a predator. Because I'm a bunny and he's a fox. This isn't him trying to start anything... This is him giving up!_

"N-Nick, wait. You don't have to-"

"Hey. Cheer up, Carrots." Nick's paw awkwardly hesitated in the air above her shoulder before giving it a light punch. "Yes I do. Just... enjoy the moment, okay? After all, how many times are you going to hear me apologize _and mean it_?"

The fox gave a clumsy, forced chuckle, failing at acting lighthearted. He looked away from her, rubbed the back of his scruff with a paw, then glanced back up with an unsure, toothy grin. It was obvious he was trying to get past the moment and assess the damage. Nick's ears slowly went flat, splaying out to each side in worry as her silence dragged on. "...Carrots?"

Judy was a deer in the headlights... Which is probably why she hardly saw any deer out enjoying the nightlife of Zootopia! That made so much sense!

 _Not the time, Jude._

There were many things she wanted to say to her fox and, contrary to what her blank reaction might've suggested, she possessed all the words she required in order to say them. They were very clear in her mind. Unfortunately, the computer that was her brain had decided to install updates without asking her first. It was going to have to download and process what had just happened, and only after her system rebooted would it allow her to properly function again. She worried that might be too late, seeing a subdued panic settle into Nick's green eyes.

"Carrots? I... _Judy_..." Nick gave a deep, depressed sigh, slumping back into his seat. His whole body was the embodiment of defeat. He couldn't look at her any longer. "Judy, _please._ Just... forget I said that, okay? It's not a big deal. In fact, it's so unimportant even a naked yak could forget it! Remember him? The look on your face..."

 _You dumb fox! Just shut up for a sec!_ One by one, the rabbit's functions reengaged. First her heart began to race. Then, her eyes could blink. Her mouth moved, but there was no sound. _Voice, Jude. Say something!_

The fox grimaced and forced himself to look back at Judy, his face regretful. His stare darted to her useless, quivering mouth then back to her eyes. Judy saw true, damaging pain sink into those eyes, getting the wrong idea entirely from her shaky body language. Nick's eyebrows furrowed and his hair began to puff. She had seen this look after her disastrous press conference, and she had hoped never to see it again...

He thought she was scared of him.

 _Voice! Now would be a really good time!_

"You know what? _Figures_." Nick practically spat the words. "I didn't expect you to feel the same. You know what I _expected_ , Fluff? Your _understanding_. I _ex-pec-ted_ that maybe you'd realize I'd honor your boundaries! Just because I'm some _scaaaaary_ predator, it doesn't mean I'm going to take whatever I want, grab your face and-"

"Kiss me."

It was an order.

 _Succinct, but effective._

In one impressively fluid motion the tod's face shifted from anger, to shock, to wonder, and then to shame. He completely deflated. Judy had never seen her fox so timid, but to her delight he didn't have to be told twice. Gently caressing her cheek with a large, dark paw, the predator leaned in, hesitated, and kissed her.

...It was not a heavenly kiss.

No, the truth was it was a very _awkward_ kiss. It turned out the extreme differences in their respective mouths' shapes and sizes made for a bit of a puzzle. They both tried to enjoy it until finally, with a flustered huff, Judy took charge. The rabbit broke the kiss with an adamant look, tilted her head and began to gesture with her paws. "Okay, wait, what if we..."

"Right. And _you_..." Nick made a face, then switched to another one: "While _I_..."

Nodding, the dynamic duo put their surefire plan into action. It was still not a great kiss.

 _But it was better..._ thought Judy, not to be discouraged.

It took the pair a few blundering tries as they gracelessly probed their miffed mouths at each other's faces. It was one of those times, like trying to plug in a cable you knew was supposed to fit yet refused to do so. In-between attempts, the pair couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculousness. They reluctantly took a moment to breath.

Finally, everything clicked.

 _That_ was a heavenly kiss!

Nick took a sharp breath in, grabbing Judy by the shoulders to pull her closer as the success registered; the little rabbit's paws rubbed his chest in reply. Giddy heat spread throughout their bodies. They each savored every nuance of the contact, each newfound texture and taste somehow better than the last. Numbed, it was Nick who finally broke the kiss. The fox was panting, eyes closed, with a small string of saliva dangling off the right of his mouth. " _Judy..."_

" _Yeah_..." Exhaled the doe, thoughts racing back into place after an unknown period of time with their absence. She found herself staring off into space, not knowing when she'd reopened her eyes. She swallowed. "Yeah... _that works_..."

 _Understatement of the year, Jude._

The rabbit giggled when she looked back up at her tod, discovering a face that left no question whether it was in pure bliss. Nick's eyes were barely open in a daze, and his ears were relaxed to each side. His face wore a dumb smile, complementing his limp shoulders beautifully. The predator licked his lips and blinked a few times, turning his half-absent eyes toward Judy. "Mmmm... You taste _good_. I see now why we used to eat you..."

Judy's heart rushed, her bunny biology forcefully taking the wheel from her. The decision was a rash one, but now that she had an itch...

 _Oh, you'll definitely be eating me, fox..._

In one conclusive moment, the doe suddenly hopped over Nick and opened his door from the outside. She pulled on his wrist. "Come on, boy! _Outta' the car_."

"...Huh?" Nick's response time was comically lagging, still catching up to how his bunny had switched to his opposite side. Dreamily, he obliged. His love-drunk face gained a hint of confusion as he exited the vehicle. Stupidly, he asked. "Where are we going...?"

"My place." she stated simply, firmly, marching a small distance ahead.

"Wait, _what_!?" Consciousness harshly slammed back into Nick's skull like he'd been hit upside the back of the head with a baseball bat. Her tone had not been lost on him. Scurrying to catch up to her, the fox's paws were a fidgeting flurry of nondescript motions. "T-this is all moving so _fast_...! I didn't get a chance to buy you dinner first, o-or say anything about how incredible your _eyes_ are-"

"Oh, I think you said _plenty_." Judy smirked, eyes steadfast on the prize. She started up the stairs.

"But, uh... have you _considered_ the, uh..." Nick sputtered, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. He pointed a digit of one paw and made a circle with his other, nervously bumping the two crude representations together in a futile simulation. "... _logistics_?"

" _Don't_ care." Judy turned around (now at eye level with him from her higher position) and swatted his paws down. Grabbing his tie and tugging it, she whispered provocatively. "I'll make it work..."

Dumbstruck, Nick's jaw dangled loosely. It was then that the fox realized he possessed _two_ brains. The first, higher, and saner brain attempted vainly to slow him down and consider the situation. The second brain, located far lower in his body, had instinctively just become _much_ louder. The first brain never stood a chance; he let himself get dragged up the stairs. "Yes, _ma'am_...!"

Judy's ears were pointed straight up, focusing on her neighbors' doors as she approached her own.

 _Good! They must still be out partying. This will be perfect..._

The bunny reached into her back pocket and fetched her keys, her eagerness making it difficult to unlock the door as her paws faintly shook from restrained desire. Finally, the lock clicked open and she dashed inside, turning around to give Nick an expectant look. The dumb fox was frozen at the doorway.

"It's so _small_..." he densely stated, referring to the apartment.

"Oh, but you haven't been _inside_ yet..." beckoned Judy, her voice practically dripping. "I think you might like how _tight_ it is..."

She saw his jaw shut tight in a poor attempt to hide drool. Judy smiled. The bunny had the fox lock, stock, and barrel. She watched as he timidly looked around the room, at Judy, and down the hall one last time. Whatever internal turmoil was going on in his crazy head, the rabbit saw the exact moment it came to an end. Body now nonchalant, Nick's head turned back to look at hers as he stepped into the room, his lecherous smile completely erasing the flustered fox she'd seen only moments prior. He was her sly fox again. " _Careful_ , bunny. _Some_ carrots might be too _big_ for you..."

With a smoothness that almost seemed practiced, Nick closed her door with a foot as he entered. Judy closed the gap.

"I'm not afraid of you, _fox_..."


	6. Those New Mistakes

CHAPTER SIX:

" _THOSE NEW MISTAKES"_

* * *

 _MY rabbit!_ howled a primitive voice within Nick's mind.

"...Nick..." the sound beneath him came to his ears, soft and vulnerable. The bunny in his drooling maw began to squirm. Intrinsic urge drove the fox as he growled in dominance, grasping her neck tighter in his teeth. _MY_ _rabbit!_

" _Nick!"_

Judy's voice reached him this time, forcing the predator back into horrifying reality. Eyes wide, his body went rigid. The moment shot icy fear through the fox's veins.

...He had his teeth on his lover's throat.

 _No!_ screamed his mind, now terrified of himself. Nick leapt off her in an instant, tumbling onto the floor with a painful thud. Guilt consumed him. _Why would I!?_

"J-Judy, I-" His voice quivered as he raised his chin to look her. He froze. She silently stared at him, clutching the covers, her nose twitching. Fear. "I... I didn't..."

 _But I did, didn't I...?_

It was surreal. Like he was watching his life unravel from the outside. He was just a spectator observing the tragedy play out before him. Everything he'd worked so hard for... everything he cared so much for... his wonderful rabbit...

 _No. Not anymore._

Tears welled up in his eyes as the tod realized he'd ruined everything. He didn't want to believe it, but... they were right to fear him. All along. He had always been a dangerous _predator_. He couldn't be trusted. Not like this, at least.

He needed to get out of here.

Nick went into a frenzy, grabbing his discarded clothes from throughout the room, randomly pausing to take a scared, remorseful look at Judy. "I'm _sorry!_ I'm _so sorry_... I... _this_ -"

He cut himself off. What could he say? With a groan, the fox hurried back into his ruffled clothes and snatched his keys with a loud jingle. He stopped before opening the door, his back turned to his prey behind him. His whole body sulked. He pleaded. " _Please_ , I... this... _this was a mistake..._ "

With that, he left, bolting down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him.

* * *

 _I'm such a... a dumb, dumb bunny...!_

Judy sobbed into her pillow, hugging it tightly.

He was right... this was a mistake... _her_ mistake...

The rabbit brought a paw up to rub the damp fur around her neck, sniffling. Nick hadn't hurt her in the slightest. As _vicious_ as he was... his teeth had been very careful. It had just been so unexpected! Yes, it had scared her at first! But she trusted the fox. There was even a thrill, there. She just... she just needed a second. That was all! She had just needed a second...

 _Dumb bunny. Didn't even think to make a safe-word. Should I have? Bunnies should know about this stuff..._

Bunnies received the best sexual education in all of Zootopia, but she'd paid little attention. She had other priorities at the time. Not knowing whether she should have known better, Judy decided to blame herself.

 _I just needed a second!_ she wound herself up again, crying anew.

She'd yelled his name. All Judy had wanted was to slow down and take a breath. Nick had been such a gentlemammal, pausing to make sure she was okay as they went along. But he'd... advanced too quickly. Lost himself for a moment. It was short. She hadn't meant to scare him. She'd just wanted to get the fox's attention; she knew he'd comply! And he did. But... the fox didn't trust _himself_. When he froze...

 _When he froze, I should have said something. Why didn't I say something...?_

That was a different kind of fear. The situation was quickly falling apart. She saw her fox self-destructing, and she felt helpless to stop it. The rabbit was still too stunned at the situation in general, it being her first time. Should she have told him that?

 _No, then he'd have been too worried about me. He never would've agreed._

But that was the problem, wasn't it? She roped him in, rushed into something she hadn't prepared for...

 _Look what happened. I broke him._

"Dumb, insecure fox..." she chuckled with a tinge of melancholy in her voice, wiping her nose with her wrist. An easing warmth soothed her body. At first she was confused as to why, but her gut had initially been more perceptive than her mind: Nick had entirely let go, for her and her only. He was always calculating, scheming, reacting... Together, the tod had let himself have a moment without trying to understand any of the angles. Until that moment he had taken the initiative upon himself to keep the two of them feeling safe, but when he had let that guard down...

Judy feared this might teach him never to do that again.

 _I'll just have to work on that_. the bunny told herself, confidence finding its way back into her system. So what if tonight was a disaster? Would that mean she was going to give up, now that she'd had something she'd never known she'd wanted? That wasn't the Jude _she_ knew!

 _No I won't give up, no I won't give in..._

Reinvigorated, she suddenly needed to hear her fox's voice. Rolling over to reach her phone, she swiped down her contacts list until she found Nick's stupid selfie. She laughed at him, hesitating on pressing the call button. Would he even answer?

 _There's only one way to find out, Jude_.

...But he didn't answer. Not knowing what message she would leave him, she simply hung up. This was a problem she was going to have to leave until morning. The bunny had to find another way to calm herself to sleep, recalling the carrot pen. Fishing it out, she placed it on the pillow next to her head, hoping that tomorrow would sort everything out.

" _It could happen."_ played his charming voice.

 _Yeah..._

It could happen.


	7. The Morning After

CHAPTER SEVEN:

" _THE MORNING AFTER"  
_

* * *

The morning alarm reached right into Judy's skull and grabbed tightly, crushing all peace within its ruthless grasp. Not one to take a beating without throwing a few punches of her own, the fierce rabbit slugged her abusive device. _That'll show the little..._

"Did you _hear_ that punch!?" came a familiarly loud voice through the wall.

"No way! That was her!? _Ha_! Good one, bunny! Show it who's boss!"

Slightly abashed, the doe chuckled with amusement. She yelled back. _"Good morning,_ guys! _"_

Judy could easily have grown annoyed with her neighbors after a while, but... they were comforting. It came from her upbringing, she supposed. It's not like rooms in Bunnyburrow were any larger or any more private. Most mammals would feel their lives were being invaded, but to her... it was kind of nice knowing she was never quite alone. It made the city feel less anonymous. Her neighbors, as crazy as they were, reminded her of her home.

"Dude, _ask_ her!"  
"No! Why don't _you_ ask her!?"

 _Oh, for the love of_...  
This could repeat forever. Judy rolled her eyes. "Ask me _what_ , guys?"  
There was a pause, an oddity from the two who otherwise had no brakes attached to their mouths.

"Um... he wanted to know if-"  
"No! _You_ did too!"  
"Okay, okay, fine! _We_ wanted to know if-"  
"Are you alright, bunny?"

The concern caught Judy completely off guard. She sat up in her bed, ears raised. "Um... _yes_?"

Apparently the answer wasn't good enough for their liking.

"Well, it's just that-"  
"No, you idiot! She _just_ said-"  
"I know what she said, stupid! I have ears!"  
"Then why are you asking?!"  
"But you saw the fox too! He was coming straight from her room!"  
"And she said it was _fine_! Leave it!"  
"He was running so _fast_ -"

As the two continued to argue about whether to ask a question they'd already inadvertently asked, the events of the previous evening slowly made their way back into Judy's still-waking brain. She lost herself in thought.

 _Did that actually happen?_

Clearly it had. If the bickering neighbors weren't evidence enough, her clothes were still randomly strewn across the floor. Also, she found herself sore from last night's... _activities_. She may have made things work, but it's not like it hadn't been a bit of a stretch. The rabbit sighed: This was going to be a rough day.

"Okay! That's enough! Thanks, guys!"

Rubbing her eyes, she stepped off her bed.

...And nearly killed herself! The bunny's foot slipped on something and rolled out from underneath her, causing her to topple onto her side with a painful "ooph!". Rubbing her likely-bruised elbow, Judy discovered the carrot pen. It must have fallen onto the floor sometime while she was sleeping. The irony didn't escape her.

 _One moment it saves my butt, the next it bites it._

Speaking of her butt, it was going to be late if she didn't hurry! With a quick shake of her head the rabbit let all thoughts and worries be put on hold as she got into gear and headed out the door, deciding to eat a large lunch instead of spending time on breakfast. The sacrifice turned out to be a smart one; the bunny found herself walking through the front doors of the ZPD with only a few minutes to spare. Acting as if nothing were out of the ordinary, she shined a smile at Clawhauser and called out, using Nick's... _Nick-Name_ for him.

 _I'm going to have to remember that one! He'll like that._

"Mornin', Spots!"

Clawhauser sheepishly waved back with an apologetic look on his face, a clear reservation of his usual cheeriness that was unlike him. "Um, good morning Judy! Last night... go well?"

The cheetah gave a nervous chuckle; it seemed as though he knew the answer to his question, although Judy didn't quite understand what he was asking about. "Yes, uh... Yes it did. Thanks for... asking?"

 _What does he think he knows...?_

"Good... good..." Clawhauser nodded as he turned his head to the side, looking awkwardly at his desk. "Well, uh... Right! I think the Chief wanted to see you. Dunno' about what though. _Nope_ , so..."

"So..." Judy uncomfortably continued, watching the cheetah draw an invisible circle on his desk with his paw. "I'll just... head on over there then!"

Both animals breathed a sigh of relief as the bunny began walking away, the weird tension of the moment being lost on neither. Judy gave a quick shake of her head to clear it. She knew today was going to be interesting to get through, but if _this_ was what it was going to be like...

 _I'm going to need to get my head in the game!_

Puffing out her chest and gritting her teeth to instill confidence in her small frame, Judy's walk practically became a march as she navigated her way through the hallways toward Chief Bogo's office. That faked confidence was quick to subside, though, as her ears picked up a familiar voice coming from her destination. Nick was in there.

 _Didn't he say something last night about a meeting...?_

This was not how she'd imagined first seeing the fox today, but it was going to have to do. Taking a breath, she knocked on the office door. From the other side, she could hear the Chief ask a question.

"...You sure about this, Wilde?" There was a pause. Footsteps followed, and the door was opened before her. Chief Bogo loomed over her, glaring at her with his usual, dissatisfied frown. "Come in, Hopps. Have a _seat_."

As the intimidating buffalo stepped aside and motioned for Judy to enter, the bunny finally saw Nick. The fox was slouching, resigned, in front of Bogo's desk. She caught his ears turning toward her, but he refused to make eye contact. Nick was wearing his trademark tropical shirt and slacks.

 _He's... in civilian clothes?_

Clawhauser's previous trepidation began to make more sense in the rabbit's head. Apparently the current situation was far more serious than she'd known to expect, the mood causing the air in the room to feel thick. Bewildered and anxious, Judy glanced at the two males and put her paws together for comfort. "Uh... yes sir."

When all were finally sitting down, Bogo let the silence build insufferable tension before his deep voice aimed itself at Judy with a subdued heat. "It has come to my attention, Officer Hopps, that two of my officers have foolishly engaged in _fraternization_. You wouldn't happen to know who those two _are_ , would you Hopps?"

The inquiry was ice-cold. This was a test, and not a well-hidden one at that. Judy looked at her chagrined partner, his head down, eyes closed, no hint of the fight he always had within him. The bunny's ears fell in shame and despair, finding herself unable to look at the Chief as she answered. "...Officer Wilde and myself, sir."

She could hear Bogo's huff, and then the creak of the massive buffalo leaning back in his chair. " _I see_. At least _now_ you decide to use your brain... _Tell_ me. Do you happen to recall the ZPD's _policy_ on fraternization...?"

This time it was not a test; the question was rhetorical. They both already knew she did.

...Judy's ears would've drooped even lower, if possible.

"Good. _Glad_ to see we have our little stories straight." Bogo had made a point to glare at her motionless partner before returning his attention back to the disgraced doe. "Let me be _clear_. I'm disappointed in you. _Both_ -" he shot another quick, sharp look at Nick. "-of you. Do either of you need me to _elaborate_ on that?"

There was agonizing silence. The buffalo began to raise his voice. "I. Can't. _Hear you_."

"... _No_ , sir." the partners said in disjointed unison.

"Very well. Let me cut to the chase, then. Officer Hopps, you'll be working with Officer McHorn from now on..." The statement came as a devastating blow. Judy's eyes began to sting. "...Officer _Wilde_ , I'm placing you on paid suspension. Report to me in a week for your new assignment. You may both leave now."

...Nick made no noise. No complaint. He simply stood up and walked out the door, feet and tail dragging. He made one, gut-wrenching glance at Judy, then closed the door behind him.

 _This isn't right..._

Anger began to rise in the rabbit's throat. " _Sir_! With all due respect-"

" _What_ respect!?" Chief Bogo yelled, slamming his desk. "The respect you showed when you _blatantly_ disregarded the rules? The respect you were _about_ to show by questioning my decision!?"

Judy cringed, seeing some truth in the accusation. Still, she was not to be dissuaded. "But Nick-"

"That _fox_ is no longer any of your concern! You may _leave_ , now." The buffalo's eyes raged, repeating himself. It was not a suggestion.

"You _suspended_ him!" Judy gasped and clutched her mouth. She'd just yelled at the Chief! With the depressing reality of martyrdom sinking deep into her body, the rabbit became quiet. "It's... it's not _fair_."

To her surprise, the Chief simply sighed. Rubbing his temple, the buffalo relaxed back into his chair. "...When are you going to accept it, Hopps? Life never _is_."

...She wasn't dead?

Bogo continued. "I don't like this any more than _you_ do, Hopps. Do you think I _want_ to punish two of my best officers? _Of course not!_ We _both_ know you made a great team... better than you ever were apart. I'm losing one of the greatest assets of the ZPD, splitting you two! And _why_?" - The buffalo gestured widely across his desk, voice building once more. - "Because neither of you _selfish_ animals could _keep it in your pants_!"

Judy sat in silence. Chief Bogo slowly calmed himself down, and looked at her in... _pity_? It was not a look she expected to see on the buffalo's face. "This wasn't my idea, Hopps."

"What? Then _why-_ "

He cut her off. "He forced my hoof. Imagine my _surprise_ , if you will, when Wilde comes into my office reciting our fraternization policy! _Verbatim_. I'm surprised the fox even understands we _have_ policies around here..."

The revelation came as a sharp knife to Judy's gut.

 _...Nick split us up? But..._

"The concept may be foreign to you, rabbit, but sometimes rules _can, and should_ be bent. I'm not a tyrant. If matters stay professional, I don't see it as any of my business. You don't see me splitting up Delgato and Fangmeyer, do you?"

 _Wait, Delgato and Fangmeyer are -?_

"No! Of course not! Because _they_ don't come into my office and wave their drama in my face! I don't know what happened between you two, and frankly I _don't care_. So instead of blaming _me_ , maybe you should go out _there_ , do your _job_ , and be thankful he at least had the decency to take the fall for both of you! So unless there is something _else_ you'd like to bring to my attention, Officer Hopps, I have more _important_ matters to attend to..."

"Yes, sir. I mean... _no_ , sir. There isn't."

Judy scurried out the door, emotionally empty. She was still coming to terms with the fact that Nick had intentionally ended their partnership. Did he not care anymore? No, that wasn't it. He'd just taken a suspension to keep this off her record. He'd put all the blame on himself.

 _Is he really that guilty...?_

Pure muscle-memory guided the bunny through the rest of her morning, her brain in shock from the roller-coaster that was the previous 24 hours. Mindlessly, she eventually found herself in the passenger seat of a vehicle about to start patrol. A rhinoceros was sitting in the driver's seat wearing a look of sympathy. Officer McHorn mustered the best optimistic smile he could force (which wasn't much) in an attempt to cheer her up, apologetically offering her a raised fist.

"Ready to make the world a better place...?"


	8. Memory Lane

CHAPTER EIGHT:

" _MEMORY LANE"_

* * *

Parked in the privacy of a favorite alley, Finnick ran the money through his paws and counted the haul for the day. Not as good as it used to be. Then again, Nick had always had the better plans. Some day the little fennec fox was just going to have to accept that the good times had passed. Pocketing the cash, Finnick reached into his precious van for his baseball bat and three empty soda cans. Walking out in front of the van, he lined up the cans and faced himself down the alley. He choked up on the bat and lined his aim golf-style at the first can.

 _I can hear her stupid, patronizing voice even now: "Anyone can be anything!"_

With a loud "crunch!" the bat slammed into the first can, rocketing it down the alleyway. After soaring an impressive distance considering the fox's small stature, the crushed can eventually came bouncing back to earth with echoing metallic clanks. Satisfying. Taking a step to the side, Finnick lined himself up with the next one.

 _Sure! Anyone can be anything! Nick can ditch the streets... become a cop!_

His next aluminum victim met a very similar end, coming to rest a little further down the alleyway than the first. Finnick exhaled, stepped to the side again, and lined himself up with the last can.

 _Meanwhile I... I can be ALONE!_

The third can went low and astray, bouncing off a dumpster. _Un_ -satisfying. He huffed.

Yes, he regretted helping the rabbit find Nick. He'd been worried about a certain red fox too, but little did he know what the cost of his worry would turn out to be. Now he was very much alone in the world, scraping hustles by as best he could. Anyone could be anything, and he could be forgotten...

Finnick plodded back to the van and tossed the bat in, about to hop in himself. It was then that his impressive ears picked up a distinct shuffling. He knew those steps. The fennec began to boil with anger.

 _Well now, speak of the devil. Here's a surprise..._

" _Heeeeey_ , big guy! How 'bout a kiss hello for daddy?" Nick's face had his usual, slimy smile. Finnick had a good mind to grab his baseball bat again...

"Whataya' _want_ , Nick?" he responded shortly, still not fully facing the approaching predator.

The red fox raised his paws out from his sides in mock-innocence. "Can't a fellow just catch up with an old _friend_?"

Finnick snorted, scowling. "Whatever it is, Nick... _Save it_. I'm out."

"What? Come on! Not even for old times' sake?" he tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Eh? How about it?"

The fennec fox couldn't take it anymore! Slamming his door in anger, Finnick turned around to face his old partner. He pointed a digit of his paw at Nick. "Yeah! What _about_ old times, Nick!? You _left me_! Or have you conveniently forgotten you're a _two-timing_ -"

"Hey!" Nick interrupted defensively, all charming pretense thrown out the window. He pointed a digit of his own. "Don't think I don't remember the streets! There's _no way_ you could associate with a cop!"

"What, I'm supposed to think you abandoned me to _protect_ me? Is _that_ what you're telling me?"

Nick's eyebrows narrowed, ears back in frustration. "That's _exactly_ what I'm telling you, big guy!"

"Well then, I guess that makes it just _fine_ now, doesn't it!?" Finnick raised his voice further, sarcasm biting in every word. "You were just _protecting_ me when you didn't tell me you were leaving! You were just _protecting_ me when you left me all alone! I've had to fend for _myself_ now Nick! _You_ were the leader...! And you know what the worst part is? I _still_ woulda' followed you! Maybe not a _cop_ , but..."

Nick was clearly taken aback, blinking. "I... Fin, I-"

" _Shove it_ , wise guy! I woulda' followed you. I woulda' left _all_ of this! But _you_... left... _me_. And all because of some prissy, dumb _bunny_ -"

"She is _not_ a dumb bunny!" Nick practically snarled the words over him, stepping close to the van in a threatening pose.

Finnick's eyes went wide at the vehement outburst, all anger draining out of his little body in an instant. His big ears had heard the possessive, unspoken second half of that sentence. It all made sense now.

 _She's not a dumb bunny... She's HIS bunny!_

The little fox collapsed to the pavement struggling to breath, too busy howling with laughter. This was too rich! Nick crossed his arms and slumped backwards with annoyance. Seeing his face, Finnick burst into a new fit of laughter, pounding the ground. "She's got you _good_! Who woulda' thought? Little Nicky's hunting _prey_! I thought maybe you were into males or somethin', have to hide this sexy body of mine... but this is _so_ much better!"

Still reeling from accidentally letting the proverbial cat out of the bag, Nick weakly attempted to protest. "You know very well that my reputation proceeds me."

Finnick quickly stood up with a stern look on his face; he proceeded to hop onto the hood of the van, tug Nick by the tie, and slap him across the face. " _Don't_ you lie to _me_ , Nicky boy. We both know you've never _once_ been with a female!"

…

There was a peculiar silence as Nick didn't quite look Finnick in the eye.

The little fennec fox gasped, letting go of the tie.

" _No..._ Don't tell me! You _didn't_...!" His amused shock quickly switched to grossed-out puzzlement. "How does that even _work_?"

If the red fox could look even redder, he would have. Clearly he _knew_ how that worked.

Laughing once again, Fin mocked the tod with a howl. "Awwoooo! Watch out, world! Nicky boy is on the _prowl_! Better hide all your cute little bunnies, because we got ourselves one _fine_ sexual predator!"

Finnick scrunched his face as he replayed his words in his head.

 _...Wait. That didn't come out right._

He was about to laugh it off, but somehow his words had left Nick looking thoroughly dejected. Finnick found the posture unsettling; it was unbecoming of the fox he knew.

"I bit her, Fin." the red fox's arms fell with distraught.

Fin chuckled, bopping Nick on the shoulder with a paw. "Why you _kinky_ son-of-a-"

"I _scared_ her, Fin..."

The moment was quiet. Almost tender.

Finnick's face appeared to be making calculations. Eventually it came to a decision, immediately feigning toughness. "Oh, _walk it off_ you big red crybaby! Don't you dare be gettin' all _mushy_ and _sentimental_ on me! I don't need to hear about that crap! So are you gonna' keep trying to make me gag, or are you gonna' finally tell me what you're really here for? I don't got all day, Nicky boy! Time is money!"

A look of surprise covered his friend's face, followed by thankfulness. With some effort, the larger fox forced himself to look sly again. "Well then, I'm told there's this _obnoxious_ little fennec fox somewhere around these parts... good at getting his grubby little paws on things? Was hoping he could procure a thing or two for me. Don't suppose an innocent little fella' like _you_ would know where I could find him, would you?"

"That depends, _stranger_." Finnick crossed his arms, playing along. "What exactly would you want this fox to _get_?"

The game quickly dissolved as Nick began explaining what he had initially come for. Finnick's eyes went wide once more as he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You want me to get _what!_? Are you freakin' _insane!_?"

* * *

The sound of tearing tape echoed throughout Nick's emptied apartment as he finished sealing another box. With a grunt, the fox pushed it across the floor and into a corner stacked with many such boxes, each filled with their own portion of his belongings. With an air of satisfaction, he brushed his paws together and put them to his sides. _Just one more to go_.

Grabbing the last box, Nick began carefully putting away his priceless record collection. Many of the records had been passed down to him from his father, such as some "Louis Tailstrong" and "Bing Crosbeaver" albums. Over the years he'd grown an obsession with the classic sound of vinyl records and had expanded upon his father's collection, adding in some "The Beach Boars" _here_... some "Elkis Presley" _there_... He even had a few decent classical composers! In his paw currently, however, was his most precious album: "The Best of Fang Sinatra".

Nick fondly brushed his paw over the sleeve, printed on which was a picture of the sharply-dressed coyote singer. Paper-clipped to the sleeve was an old photograph of a handsome young fox (roughly Nick's age) dressed to look like the coyote. It was his father...

Nick's mother hadn't fared well after his death, desperately trying to be a single-mother in a world that didn't trust her kind. She'd struggled to give Nick the best childhood she could, but... That struggle had cost her. Over time she had begun to wear herself too thin, and then when the sickness came... Nick had lost his mother at the age of twelve.

 _That's when I met Finnick._

With a sigh, Nick reluctantly turned off of memory lane and gently tucked the record in with the rest as he finished packing the last box. Finnick had really pulled through for him this time, obtaining all the supplies the fox needed. He'd paid his friend with what had appeared to be a large wad of small bills, having hidden much larger bills in the middle. Nick hoped it would be what the little fox needed to get off the streets; they'd always made a killing in their hustles, but the local gangs made sure to know who worked within their territories and had taken a substantial cut from any profits.

Nick walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, double-checking his food supplies.

 _Good. This should last me._

Closing the door again, Nick grabbed a lock and chain, thoroughly securing the refrigerator from forced entry. This supply was going to have to last him the week, and he didn't want to accidentally devour it too soon. Placing the key on the counter next to the fridge, the fox walked back into the living room toward a stack of boards. Grabbing his hammer and some nails, Nick brought the boards over to his door.

 _Here goes the deposit_. he mused.

With loud, definitive strikes he began nailing the boards across the doorway, trapping himself within his apartment. It was tiring work, but eventually he'd coated the doorway. Nick wasn't about to take any chances – done with the doorway, the fox moved on and gave the same treatment to the windows of his apartment. When it was complete, it was like he was standing in his own personal jail cell.

 _How pleasant._ he nervously thought. _Here comes the fun part_...

Taking out an analog camcorder, Nick placed it on top of the stack of boxes and faced it toward the center of the room. Once the little red light indicated it was recording, Nick walked into its view. The reality of what he was about to do finally hit him, sending tendrils of anxiety shooting through every limb. His mind raced with doubt as he second-guessed himself. This was crazy!

Feeling condemned, the fox looked around his apartment to remind himself he'd spent the better part of the day locking himself into this little scheme. There was no backing out now. Reaching into a nearby sack, he took out two important items:

The first was a silver, plush bunny which he remorsefully placed on the ground in front of him.

The second was a strikingly blue flower with its roots intact. A Night Howler. He took a second to stare at the plant, surprised at the distress he felt when he gazed upon it. It was just a flower, but in this very moment it managed to embody all his fears. The fox's paw shook. Taking a large, shaky breath, Nick finally forced enough courage to shove it in his mouth.

 _I'm so sorry, Carrots..._


	9. You Still Can

CHAPTER NINE:

 _"YOU STILL CAN"_

* * *

Judy's week had gone by in a dull blur. Officer McHorn had made a special effort to be supportive to the rabbit, knowing what it was like to be separated from a close partner. He'd apparently spent his first years paired with a veteran of the force. When his partner retired, it had hit him hard. Judy was thankful for that understanding. She needed it. As the week had progressed, her mood had become more and more downtrodden. Nick had been refusing to answer his phone, and she'd tried knocking on his door. Judy had even resorted to sitting in the coffee shop across from his building in her free time, trying to catch him coming or going.

 _He just needs time_. she tried to reason with herself. _A week isn't all that long. He'll talk to you when he's ready._

But it wasn't just the fox's silence that bothered her... There was also the silence in anything _official_ regarding Nick. Judy had kept her ears alert, trying to ascertain who his new partner was going to be, what his new assignment was... Nobody seemed to have anything concrete. Considering the mounds of paperwork that tended to have to be passed around in such matters, it had begun to worry her that her fox seemed to be disappearing from her life in more ways than one. Just how much trouble had they got themselves into...?

 _Don't overthink it, Jude. They're separating you_. _It's not like you're supposed to know what's happening to him..._

Yes, but she _wanted_ to know. She needed to talk to him... She had so many things to say!

With a frustrated sigh the rabbit closed her locker, having just changed into her civilian clothes: a white t-shirt with a red-flannel over-shirt and a pair of jeans. The clearness of her country taste was not lost on her. Taking a moment to sip from the drinking fountain, Judy eventually made her way to the ZPD lobby.

There was an unusual hubbub centered around Clawhauser's welcome desk, and even Chief Bogo was there. Between bodies, Judy caught a glimpse of intense orange fur.

 _Nick...!?_

Elated, the doe began sprinting across the ZPD lobby, a smile beaming on her face! It _was_ Nick! He was back! Not even _she_ had fully realized just how badly she had needed to see the sly fox. She just couldn't wait!

 _...But..._

As she came closer, she caught a more direct view. Her sprint died down, ears drooping in concern. That was indeed her fox, but not as she had known him...

 _...He..._

The doe now stood still, keeping her distance from the crowd. This was not a happy reunion. The animals ahead were tense, not joyful. And her fox...

Nick had become much slimmer over the last week, his body beginning to look emaciated. His usually-gorgeous fur was unkempt. His eyes looked dark and hollow, as though he hadn't been sleeping. No, this was not the well-composed fox she knew and loved. This was the abandoned shell of that mammal.

It was then that Judy's sensitive ears finally picked up on the breaking ZNN story running on the lobby's TV. The banner on the screen read the unbelievable, alliterative headline: "First Fox Fuzz, Secretly Savors Savagery".

Judy went numb. There was footage! There was no denying the facts, no convincing herself that she was hopping to conclusions... The screen above her played the sickening scene – Nick taking the Night Howler, pupils slitting fiercely, and then tearing the plush bunny to shreds...

...It looked like _her_ , she realized.

Time came to a standstill, the news-station playing the video on repeat as the anchors talked over it. Emotions washed themselves over Judy's whole body... Fear? Shock? Her mind was too distant to tell. Eyes watering, her gaze turned back toward Nick. Over the noise of the crowd, her ears barely heard him speak to Bogo. His voice was raspy and dry.

"I'm here to turn myself in."

* * *

Nick absentmindedly rubbed the bruises on his left arm, ears swiveling as they instinctively picked up every echo bouncing to and fro throughout his cell block. He'd been in jail a couple days now, and already he'd managed to get himself into a few scrapes. Garnering a reputation, the predator had begun to be moved to stricter blocks of the Zootopia prison.

 _At least I have my own cell, now_. he thought, laying down on his bunk with his arms tucked behind his head. _It's honestly not that bad_.

It really wasn't. He had shelter, he had food... A lot of the same threats existed when living on the street, but here he at least had a guarantee on some of the essentials. If he hadn't had a taste of a better life, Nick might've found himself able to _enjoy_ his current punishment...

As it was, the fox's sentence had initially been fairly light before he'd begun getting into trouble. Night Howlers had quickly been made illegal after the "Missing Mammals" case (a decision, he recalled, which Judy said inconvenienced organic farmers like her parents), but it wasn't a major offense. Since the video implied he was a threat to Judy things were a bit more severe, but turning himself in had unfortunately balanced that out a bit.

A staccato rattling broke his thoughts – the sound of keys unlocking his jail cell. He looked up at the hulking buffalo and smiled. His new guard reminded him of good ol' Buffalo Butt. Nick simply couldn't resist the urge to tease. "Hey there, _handsome_. Are you here to _punish_ this _naughty little fox..._?"

"Visitor." the buffalo stated emphatically, gesturing out of the cell. " _Out_."

 _Well, that's unexpected._

Intrigued, the tod hopped up from his bunk and walked toward the guard. As Nick stepped by he took the opportunity to have just a little more fun, flashing a coy face up at the behemoth as he swished his tail. " _Your loss_ , big guy..."

The two walked down the cell block, the guard keeping a close watch from behind. As Nick shuffled ahead, he caught some dirty looks from the prisoners he was passing by. Most were prey, some of which he'd even helped lock away. Apparently word had caught around in _this_ cell block, too...

 _Expect more trouble_... he mentally took note. _Good_.

Eventually they made it to their destination, the guard opening the door for him. It was your typical setup: A plexiglass window with corded phones on either side so that two mammals could talk to each other.

In this case, that other mammal was Judy.

Nick tried to backpedal – suddenly wanting to be anywhere but here – but the buffalo closed the door behind him. He'd been left alone with the one mammal in the world he wasn't sure he could face. There was a long moment as he stood there, distant from the phone. She looked very serious, and very tired. Timidly, the guilt-ridden fox eventually forced himself to the chair and put the phone to his ear. He couldn't make eye-contact. He could hear the rabbit take a few sharp breaths, working herself up to what she wanted to say.

" _Why_." The command was stated bluntly, a bitter hint of accusation seeping through her voice.

Nick struggled to find his own voice. "I'm... a _predator_."

" _Not_ good enough!" The intensity of Judy's pain and anger began to show. She repeated herself. " _Why_."

Nick found his own anger, now, the confrontation keying into his protective instincts. "It damn well _better_ be good enough, Carrots! I could've _killed_ you!"

"...Did you _want_ to?" There was a cold, uncertain fear in her voice.

" _No_! Of course not! How could you even _ask_ such a-"

" _How!?_ " The doe yelled, tears beginning to streak down her face. "You... you take _Night Howlers_ , a-and you pretend to rip me into _pieces_ , and you sit there in prison, and you ask me _how!?_ What am I _supposed_ to think? Answer the damn question, Nick! _Why?_ "

Nick choked. For a fox who always seemed to have something to say, he found himself with nothing.

The bunny lost all intensity, breaking down into blubbering. "...W-w-why are you _here_?"

Drops fell onto the desk in front of Nick – warm tears that he hadn't realized he'd begun to shed. The answers she wanted... He couldn't give her. Not yet. He had to distance her from this, in case things went south. Reluctantly, he turned the knife. "...I'm _dangerous_ , Carrots. I'm a _predator_. Do you get that, yet? I can't trust myself with you... _You_ can't trust me with you! I... I had my _teeth_ on your _neck_ , a-and I was _growling_ , a-a-and _what if_ -"

"I liked it..." The admission was almost a whisper.

The tod went breathless. For the first time in the conversation, he turned his eyes directly at Judy. His voice was equally quiet. "...What?"

"I trusted you, Nick." Her eyes flicked back and forth as she realized her tone had been past-tense, nostalgic. There was something _final_ in the way she'd said that. Judy closed her eyes, body drained of emotion. "I _trusted_ you..."

"W-wait, _Judy_...!" Nick suddenly, desperately pawed at the window.

...But she hung up the phone. Not giving him another look, the crestfallen creature slowly rose from her chair. He could only watch as she walked out of the room and, potentially, out of his life. The phone was still held to his ear. The fox talked to the emptiness.

"You still _can_..."


	10. The Dawning Truth

CHAPTER TEN:

 _"THE DAWNING TRUTH"_

* * *

The clacking sound of little hooves on concrete went unnoticed amid the loud hustle and bustle of the prison cafeteria. Her small profile giving her a bit of an advantage when it came to blending in, Dawn Bellwether made her way down the rows of tables carrying her tray of bland iceberg lettuce. Her eyes scanned past every mammal; there was a particular one she was searching for.

 _Hmmm..._

It was then that she spotted the fox. He was alone, sitting on the floor, back to a wall, eating his lunch at the far end of the room. It may have been a little dirty on the ground, but the tactical position was not lost on the sheep. He had a clear view of the entire room, his back defended, associating with no mammal who could likely turn against him.

 _Smart play. I definitely underestimated him before._

A gleam came to Dawn's eyes as she readjusted her glasses. This was going to take finesse.

She daintily trotted in front of Nick. "Why _hello_ there, fox! My, my... fancy seeing _you_ here! Oh, what _are_ the odds?" – she gestured a hoof to the empty space next to him – "I don't suppose this seat is taken? We do have so much to catch up on!"

The predator huffed, taking a bite out of his... gross meat-glop? (The sheep suddenly found herself ever more thankful she was an herbivore.) He looked up, displeased. "What do you want, Bellwether?"

"Oh, no need for the pleasantries!" she said, cordially. "I'm not mayor anymore. You can just call me Dawn!"

The fox repeated himself, agitated. "What do you want, _Bellwether_?"

"Nick, Nick, _Nick_... You've got me all wrong! It's not about what _I_ want..." She sat down next to him, a few feet away. "It's about what _you_ want! I mean, really. You went through a _lot_ of work just to see little ol' _me_..."

 _THERE we go._

Dawn saw subdued surprise in her adversary's face. She smiled. "What? I'm supposed to think you just happened to be placed in my block? You had to make noise to get here, foxy boy! So the question _is_... now that you think you have me cornered, what do you intend to do?"

She saw the fox glance at the security camera before returning his focus to his meal. "Wouldn't you like to know..."

 _Fine_. _Like I don't already know! I'll skip the formalities..._

Her tone turned more serious. "You can't pull the wool over the eyes of a _sheep_ , fox. You're a _killer_ , and we both know it. But I must say, it's refreshing to finally see one of you preds embrace your nature! I grow so tired of _pretense_..."

The fox bared his teeth, giving a short growl.

"See! _There_ we go! Doesn't that just feel _great_? You against me! The thrill of the hunt! The way nature intended... You can _taste_ it, can't you? You're not like the rest of them. You accept the truth... You predators are _born_ this way."

Nick turned to stare straight into her eyes, a bloodthirsty flame behind his pupils. She shivered. His response was gruff. "If we weren't under watch..."

The sheep laughed it off. "Oh, I _know_! But even so, I'd advise against it..."

"You _would_."

"Well, yes. _Of course_. I do have an attachment to living, after all! But I meant for _your_ sake, fox. I have connections. I could get you _out_ of here! I mean... Why kill a sheep when it's _bunny_ you crave?"

 _That got his attention. Let's see if he goes for it..._

"And I'm supposed to trust you?" he asked dubiously. "Just like that?"

Dawn laughed again. "Oh! No. Certainly _not_! Buuuuuut..." – she gave a pointed look to the crowded cafeteria – "How long do you really expect to last here, hm? A snitch... a cop... a _savage_ predator... So many reasons to take you down! Sure, you've survived long enough to get to _me_ , but what then? I'm offering you an out."

"...In exchange for sparing you." he finished for her.

"Naturally."

The fox chuckled. "Then why don't you just bust _yourself_ out of here? Explain _that_."

The sheep casually flexed a hoof in front of her face. "Oh, I _have_ my reasons. I won't deny it. But does it matter? I'm pretty sure it's difficult to enjoy revenge when you're _dead_. Face it, foxy boy: I'm your best bet. Take it or leave it."

She grinned at his disgruntled sigh.

 _Got him!_

"Now... do we have a deal?"

* * *

Judy needed an explanation.

Days after her devastating confrontation with her former partner, the bunny found herself with the uneasy sense that she'd been given more questions than answers. She'd tried to forget. Really, she had. Chief Bogo had even been especially generous, granting the depressed doe a few days leave to come to terms with the betrayal. As it turned out, that was a mistake. The more time she had, the more her brain could focus on replaying the events of the last two weeks. Her mind was a broken record. It was maddening. She'd hardly left her apartment and her neighbors had begun to worry about her. Finally, somewhat-masochistically, Judy went to Nick's apartment. Maybe if she saw the scene for herself, she could finally accept things for what they were.

 _None of this is right_.

Judy had that nagging instinct. Nothing felt like it added up, and she didn't know why! It was pretty clear, wasn't it? Was she in denial? All her time spent with the fox perhaps had made her paranoid; she believed she was being hustled – to what end she didn't know. He'd been truthful with her at the prison, but somehow he'd still managed to avoid answering her question. The bunny recalled the hustler's own advice:

" _Sometimes the best lie is the truth, Carrots."_

Judy still vividly remembered his antics with the "red wood". It currently made for a great example.

She finished picking the lock (coincidentally a skill Nick had taught her). The cop looked at the door with ambivalence. Did she really want to dig deeper? Could she handle what she might find?

 _I'm going to have to_. she concluded. _I'll go insane if I leave this._

Ducking beneath the crime scene tape, Judy cautiously entered. Honestly, she was surprised the scene was still intact; being such a simple case (with a confession, no less), the ZPD should have released the apartment back to the landlords right away...

 _Sweet cheese and crackers...!_

It hadn't been just one plush bunny the feral fox had gutted, but several – the empty apartment floor was covered with fluff and dismembered limbs. On every surface of the apartment were hideous gashes from his claws, a larger portion of which seemed focused around his refrigerator. Curiously, there was a hefty metal chain keeping it closed.

 _...To keep him from eating all his food_. she realized.

Her nose twitched; Judy was not sure she could continue. The mess had begun to unsheathe a sense of horror. But looking at the refrigerator... that's when it clicked! The rabbit understood why she couldn't let this be. The hustler's advice yet again played in her head:

" _Know your mark."_

That was it! She _knew_ Nick! None of this... absolutely _none_ of this was like him!

 _Except, maybe, for shutting out the world. That would be like him._

She'd seen the fox in pain before, and she knew a bit of his past. Even _if_ he had truly gone off the deep end, this was _not_ how he'd do it!

 _He never drinks. There's never any alcohol in his fridge, or elsewhere. Nick always needs to keep control._

And this? Night Howlers? This was the opposite of control. In fact, losing control was what the fox had been most afraid of when he bit her... No. This was the last thing Nick would've done after that.

 _So why...?_

Judy's fear turned into pure curiosity as she closed the door behind her, the thud of the door echoing in the empty apartment. She was no longer a hurt friend looking at a sadistic threat... She was a cop, and this was a pile of clues. She flicked the light switch on.

There were numbers written on one of the walls in an ascending order: Starting low in value, each following number was larger than the last. The difference between any two, however, seemed random.

 _Or... maybe he HAS lost it..._

Judy moved on to the stack of boxes, picking one at random and opening it. Inside were his belongings, carefully packed. A patch of green caught her eye: His "Junior Ranger Scout" uniform.

 _He... kept it?_

It appeared to be wrapped around something, protecting it. When she went to pick it up, an old, worn book slid out of the uniform and onto the floor. It was a cookbook, its pages stained from splatters and use. Flipping through the pages, there were notes written everywhere. The writing was elegant, perhaps feminine... A bittersweet realization dawned on the rabbit.

 _...It was his mother's._

A page was earmarked, a photograph taped at the bottom – an adorable fox kit, face and paws covered in blue goop. The recipe was for blueberry pie.

Judy had the sudden feeling that she was trespassing; this was not what she'd come here for. Putting everything back, the cop continued to look around and eventually spotted the camcorder. Within a minute she had turned it on and rewound the tape. Taking a breath to compose herself, the bunny played the footage.

The first video was a longer version of the one she knew from ZNN. This time, however, she saw the moments before he took the Night Howler... the moments of _dread_. A sense of relief filled Judy's body: Nick hadn't _wanted_ to go savage!

 _So why did he do it, then? Punishment? A test?_

She recognized what followed next. After turning savage, he tore into the little bunny and proceeded to claw at whatever he saw. Missing from ZNN's footage, however, had been the ending. Unlike the enhanced serum used by Bellwether (which required an antidote to cure), normal Night Howler flowers simply wore off after a while. It was why her mother's experience with Uncle Terry hadn't become more serious, or more well-known. As Nick's tired body began to collapse to the floor, Judy helplessly watched the fox curl up into a fetal position and hug his tail, sobbing... Never had he looked so vulnerable.

The footage cut ahead, Nick's face in the camera as he finished messing with it. Now his eyes were bloodshot, the fur around them mussed from moisture. The fox walked back to the center of the room and put another bunny on the floor.

"Okay... Once more." he said, tentatively. "With _feeling_."

In went the Night Howler. She saw him struggle as it took hold, eyes slitting with ferocity. As soon as the savage fox noticed the plush bunny, he pounced. The video played out much like the last, ending with Nick defeated, on the floor.

The next one was similar as well. Yet again, she watched as the fox ate the flower. Yet again, there was a pause after the savagery took hold. Yet again, as soon as the fox noticed the rabbit he tore it to shreds... Judy began to fast-forward the tape. The cruelty of what he was doing to himself...

 _All week... He was doing this to himself all week!_

Judy shut the screen of the camcorder, unable to watch any longer. She was about to put it back where she'd found it when suddenly she stared at the antiquated device, scratching her head. The camcorder itself made no sense! Nick owned a smartphone, so why use the camcorder?

 _Well, the footage isn't digital. It's safer that way._

But that posed two even more bewildering questions: Why did he tape himself to begin with, and how did ZNN get a copy of the footage? Judy put a digit to her mouth in thought. He'd turned himself in... The memory flashed in her mind: Standing there, watching him confess, the story barely breaking on the evening news...

Hadn't it been rather convenient he'd managed to turn himself in only _moments_ after he'd been exposed? How could...

 _He PLANNED this!_ Judy's mind screamed the revelation. _Nick sent the footage himself!_

Judy's ears were up, mouth loose with surprise. The fox had always intended to get caught.

...But before she could come to terms with the implications, her thoughts were interrupted. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was the Chief. Shaking her head to focus, she answered. The buffalo's voice held an unfamiliar urgency; he called her back to duty immediately. It took her a second to comprehend the words that followed...

"He's escaped."

...Nick was on the run.


	11. Fox In The Henhouse

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

 _"FOX IN THE HENHOUSE"_

* * *

The cool night air whipped through the open windows of the car, chilling Nick through his fur. There was a hint of moisture in the air, the kind which indicated the likelihood of rain. He'd had to wrap his orange prison shirt around a patch of razor wire to get over a fence, leaving his torso bare.

There were three other mammals in the vehicle, all prey. They'd been sent to help him escape from the outside of the prison, and were currently driving him to his next location. The two passengers were sheep. The driver, a large Clydesdale horse, appeared to be their leader. His right arm was covered in brandings – skulls, tribal patterns, that sort of thing – but the one that stood out most was the chicken foot.

 _The mark of the CCC... I'm not sure I like being right._

Nick brushed his arms for a bit of warmth, then decided to break the tense silence. "Hey! You there. _Horse_. Where we headed?"

Nick's ears picked up a huff from the leader. The fox smiled, his voice turning saccharine. "Awww...! Don't be _shy_ little guy! I don't bite! Well... _usually._ "

A deep, sharp voice boomed from the driver. " _Shut it_ , pred."

" _Hey_ now, Super-Glue..." he retorted, nicknaming the equine. "Is that any way to treat a guest?"

The sheep beside him swung a hoof, decking the fox on the jaw. "He said _shut it_ , pred!"

"Woah! Easy there..." Nick rubbed his mouth with one paw, waving his other at the attacker in a motion of concession. "Geez. Watch the goods. You break it, you buy it..."

He could hear the horse chuckle with gratification. Nick turned his attention out the window, letting silence fill the car again. It was then that he spotted something in the night sky (his night vision infinitely better than that of his current cohorts). Squinting, he realized he was looking at a news helicopter. It was still out some ways, hadn't spotted them yet... "Um, guys?"

"What _now_ , fox?" Clearly, Nick was testing the horse's patience.

Nick gestured to the horizon. "Anyone care to tell me how the media already has a chopper in the sky?"

There was a stunned silence. If their body language was anything to go by, the sudden anger in the vehicle was focused entirely on _him_.

"Hey, now. Wait a minute-" he defended. "Don't you go blaming this on _me_. I'm the _escapee_ , remember? Do you think I _want_ attention right now? So why don't you level with me, Super-Glue. What game are you playing, here?"

There was a frustrated pause. "...Wasn't _us_ , fox."

 _But they are playing a game_. he noted. _He didn't deny it._

The rest of the car ride was uncomfortable, all riders on edge. The sheep beside Nick kept tapping his hoof, the clacking resonating within the small space. Finally, thankfully, the sheep riding shotgun glared back at the fidgeting mammal with a pointed look. The tapping stopped. After an unknown amount of time, the car eventually pulled up to a commercial storage garage. In the distance now was a second helicopter, a bright searchlight scanning the horizon – the ZPD.

The car parked in the garage. Two more mammals were waiting for them inside: A rabbit and a llama. The rabbit gave Nick a particularly suspicious look, keeping a paw over its fox-taser. The Clydesdale ushered everyone out of the vehicle; Nick noticed how the horse had made sure to keep him surrounded...

"Okay, everyone. The plan's still good, but we need to pick up the pace. _Walt_..." the commanding voice turned toward the llama. "I need you on perimeter. ZPD's comin' in fast. Everyone else, arm yourself. This may get hot."

The llama rushed out the door. The other mammals drew their weapons and clicked the safeties off. Nick turned to the horse. "What... no gun for _me_?"

The gruff leader chuckled, not answering. The sound of sirens began to approach their position, and as if on cue a bright spotlight flashed by the garage entrance. The ZPD had found them _fast_.

"Seriously, Super-Glue. You need to give me _something_."

"What about _this_?" The Clydesdale raised his weapon at Nick, threateningly. It was a Night Howler gun... "I don't think you _get it_ , fox..."

Nick froze. He was going to have to take this _very_ carefully. All his smooth hustler practice kicked into full gear. "Maybe I _do_ , maybe I _don't_. But let me ask you _this_ , big guy: Doesn't it bother you that the media happened to know about our little escape _before_ the cops?"

The equine grunted, a frown forming on his face... Apparently he _had_ noticed that little oddity. The sirens were now blaring, beginning to surround the complex.

"I mean, I may be _lost_ here, but..." Nick continued, now having the horse's full attention. "Tell me if this story sounds familiar: Some plucky members of the CCC with good resources and a big leader decide _hey_ look at us! We want to plan a _jailbreak_! So they get a predator to be their first test subject, intending on disposing of him in _dramatic_ fashion, only to find... Whoopsie! Turns out _they're_ disposable too! And that sheep they trusted and were planning to bust out? _Double-Whoopsie!_ She called the media to see the show! And _whoopsie_ -number- _threesie_ , their Henhouse is surrounded by cops! And soon enough those cops _storm_ the complex, and our Clan members are corralled into worse and worse corners, escaping arrest, 'till _finally_ they have no choice but to surrender with their cute fuzzy-wuzzy wittle hooves in pawcuffs! That sound about right, Super-Glue?"

The equine's face said it all: The fox was dead-on. They had intended to turn Nick into some example of how all predators secretly wanted to kill.

Nick got back to the point. "Now, give me a couple of your guns."

"... _Why_?" The horse's voice was incredulous.

The fox spelled it out plainly, as though he were talking to a little child, paws outlining the air for emphasis as he spoke. "Two gun: _Better_. Zero gun: _Worse_!"

The Clydesdale's arm went stiff, pointing the gun at Nick more steadily. He was itching to pull the trigger. " _Or_... I could just _shoot_ you."

Nick rubbed his temple, intentionally projecting the vibe that he was talking to an idiot. " _Come on_ , Super-Glue! You need a distraction, yes? A chance to escape? An example to prove your point?"

"Exactly." The horse looked at his pellet pistol in emphasis.

"So I _trained_ with these guys! You turn me savage, I rush in, they shoot me dead, and what... That'll buy you... _ten_ seconds? _Twenty_?" Nick threw his paws up in the air. "Some distraction, Super-Glue! But if you give me a couple guns, let me cause some collateral damage... _you_ get a bigger spectacle and _I_ get a better chance to live. Win-win."

The Clydesdale gritted his teeth, reluctantly beginning to see the predator's logic.

"They'll be here any second, Super-Glue. What's it gonna' be? Have to say..." Nick nodded toward the pellet pistol. "Sure sounds like it beats the _alternative_."

The horse sighed with displeasure and relaxed his grip, still keeping the Night Howler gun pointed at the tod. He nodded to the two sheep. "Jason... Aries... _Guns_."

The sheep looked at their boss in dismay, but the glare they got back indicated there was no room for debate. Scowling, they gave the fox their firearms. Giving a quick wave of his pellet gun, the Clydesdale gestured Nick toward the door. The hustler's heart began to race; the ZPD was right outside.

"Get ready to move, mammals! On the count of three..." Nick pressed against the wall, the four animals beside him preparing to bolt. "One... Two... _Three!_ "

Nick jumped out into the spotlight and opened fire.

* * *

Judy and the rest of the squad ducked behind cover as Nick fired at them, four mammals darting past the fox as he attacked. Once they'd made it by, Nick lunged back into the garage and into cover himself. His shots had come up significantly short, hitting the ground many feet ahead of the group of cops.

 _Those were warning shots_. Judy realized, knowing the fox to be a better aim than that.

The squad was stiff and alert, slowly coming out of cover, aiming their weapons at the garage opening. Chief Bogo advanced a few paces, giving a slight nod to the side. Half of the officers split off in the direction of the nod, aiming to flank the four escaping mammals. The other half kept their pistols focused in the direction of the vulpine threat. Bogo bellowed out to the escaped convict.

"There are two ways we can do this, Wilde!"

A sarcastic voice echoed from within the garage. "Let me guess, Bogo-Stick: One is the _easy_ way, and one is the _hard_ way..."

The buffalo quickly called back, an odd, expectant tone in his voice. "Take the easy way, fox."

"Uh, _no_." The answer was definitive.

"What did you say, _fox..._?"

"Sorry. What I _said_ was _nooooo._ " Nick stepped out from cover shaking his head, guns resting at his sides. "I will not be taking the easy way."

The squad tensed, paws resting on their triggers.

 _He's too confident... What does he have planned?_

The fox's eyes flicked back and forth between the guns at his sides and the buffalo standing ahead of him. Was it a threat? Judy looked at Bogo, finding a proud smirk emerging on the Chief's face. Unexpectedly, he lowered his gun, relaxing...

" _Atta' boy,_ Wilde."

Nick grinned ear-to-ear, dropping his pistols onto the ground. His paws turned into fake-pistols, which he brought up to face Bogo. Melodramatically, he began to shout. "You'll _never_ take me _alive_ , coppers! Bang! _Bang bang_!"

The fox advanced toward Judy, pretending to be shot in the shoulder. "Argh! You got me, Carrots!" The fox writhed as though he were being riddled with holes. He fell to his knees. The digits of his paws gesticulated outward from his chest, imitating spurts of blood.

"Blood, blood, _blood!_ Aaaand..." The fox fell face-first into the ground in front of her. " _Death_..."

Judy was speechless, arms limply lowering her gun. Her brain hadn't quite caught up with the situation. In the background, Chief Bogo rolled his eyes.

"Officer Hopps, please _resuscitate_ your partner. We need him _alive_. Everybody else... _advance!_ We've got four perps headed out back. They're armed, they're dangerous, but they're down two weapons..."

Chief Bogo's orders trailed off as the squad moved on, leaving the pair alone. She stared at the comical corpse in front of her, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to snap into place. She recalled the moment when she'd heard Bogo's voice through the office door, right before the meeting where everything fell apart:

" _You sure about this, Wilde?"_

This... This was a setup! Nick had made that meeting with Bogo _long_ before anything had happened between them! He'd mentioned it at the bar! The video... the arrest... the worsening prison sentence... It had all been part of some Machiavellian scheme to expose this group, and Bogo had known all along. It was why she couldn't find anything about Nick's assignment in the precinct... The fraternization policy had just made for a convenient excuse to separate them.

The doe didn't know whether to be overjoyed or resentful. She settled for punching him. Multiple times.

"Hey! _Hey!_ Ow!" Nick miraculously came back to life, trying in vain to swat off her onslaught. "The boss said to resuscitate me! I'm pretty sure that involves _mouth-to-mouth_ , not police brutality!"

He wasn't going to get off that easily. However, Judy's mind was currently too jumbled to be eloquent. "You _lied_ to me! You... _liar_!"

"It's called a _hustle_ , sweetheart. You know that. And I do believe it was one of my _best_."

The tod's face was full of itself, staring at the bewildered bunny. In a moment, the lightheartedness fell. His face was easy to read: Perhaps his hustle had worked _too_ well. He'd noticed she was wearing fox repellent again.

"Nick, I-"

" _Don't_ , Carrots." The fox sighed and looked away, ears back with shame. "I understand. I _intended_ to scare you..."

Feelings of hurt began to resurface in the bunny. She had to ask. " _Why?_ "

"To protect you. From this plan. From _me_. If... if things had gone _south_..."

"No." she interrupted. "Why did you do this to begin with? This was absolutely _reckless_ , Nick! There are _so_ many things that could've gone wrong!"

"I was _stupid_. I'll admit it. It was my plan, my choice. I _was_ going to _back out_..." The fox turned to look at her, an intensity held within his green eyes. "But I felt like I had nothing left to lose, Judy. I'd already lost everything..."

The way he looked at her...

By "everything", he had meant _her_.

Judy began to smile, crying. She buried her face in his cream-colored chest fur. " _Damn straight_ , you were stupid...! You dumb, emotional _fox_... One stupid bite and it's the end of the world with you! You can't get rid of me _that_ easily, Slick..."

Nick hesitantly rested his large, predatory paws on the sobbing rabbit, enjoying a gentle hug. Instinctively, his tail wrapped around her, protecting her. He breathed her in, finally allowing the stress of the last two weeks to begin exiting his system. The fox struggled to keep composure. Judy saw his eyes battling with some thought. She coaxed it out of him. "What...?"

"I... I know it might take a while..." Nick swallowed, blinking, voice struggling to sound level. "But... Do you think you could ever forgive me...?"

Judy broke the hug, stepping back to look at him. Nick was gazing off into the distance.

 _Could I?_ The thought was a serious one.

"Nick... I won't pretend that you didn't hurt me. _Badly_. But, for once in your life, if you're willing to be _honest_ about it... _all of it_..." Judy fumbled for something in her pocket, bringing out the carrot pen with a sympathetic smile. She played his voice back to him:

" _It could happen."_

The tod turned his head back to her with surprise, tears streaking down his face into his toothy, relieved grin. He started to laugh – that kind of elated, choked laugh one can only get in moments of solace. He wiped a back of a paw against an eye.

 _And I'M the emotional one...?_

Judy grabbed his other paw and tugged. " _Come_ on, you big, orange crybaby! Let's get you a shirt."

Nick allowed himself to be dragged toward the nearest ZPD vehicle, too thankful to protest at being bossed around by the fluff-ball. Howls rang in the distance.

 _They caught them!_

Sure enough, over her police radio came the news: "All four suspects have been apprehended."

Judy slowed down as they reached the vehicle; there was still something she couldn't let go. "Nick... Why the Night Howlers? Why not something else...?"

There was an uneasy silence. She turned back to look at him. He looked guilty. Afraid.

"Nick... _I need to know_. If I'm going to be able to trust you again..." She took a moment to let the implication sink in, then continued. "Why go _savage_? You pretended to _kill_ me... And what were the _numbers_ for?"

Nick's ears stood up, his eyebrows raising. "Numbers... Four..."

Judy tilted her head to the side in confusion. "That... _is_ what I -"

"Nono _no_ , ssh!" He grabbed Judy by the shoulders, urgency striking his face. " _Four,_ Carrots! They apprehended _four_ suspects!"

She stared back, blankly. "Right. We saw four leave the garage."

Nick's eyes were wide. "But there were _five!_ A llama, two sheep, a rabbit, and a-"

Just then, a loud clopping could be heard rushing toward the two. A Clydesdale was sprinting at them, raising some sort of...

"GUN!" Nick yelled. Without thinking, the fox covered Judy with his body. She felt him lurch in pain – three distinct impacts. There was gunfire... the sound of a body hitting the pavement... a weapon sliding across asphalt...

The world became a blinding light, the police helicopter above them illuminating the scene.

" _Run_." The fox's voice was weak, trembling. Judy was frozen from shock. A growl erupted from her partner's throat, and his claws began digging into her arm.

"Ow! Nick! You're _hurting_ -"

His eyes turned to slits, claws tearing ever deeper into her flesh. Blood rushed down her arm.

"I.. said... _RUN!_ "

In one last burst of sentience, Nick threw Judy away from him. The bunny tumbled across the ground like a rag-doll, the wind being knocked out of her. Finally, catching her breath, she looked up to see the fox leaning against the ZPD vehicle, three splashes of blue seeping into the slightly-brown fur of his rippling back. His bloody claws harshly scraped down the side of the car. He was on all fours now. _Savage_.

...The hunt was on.


	12. Prey For Me

**Author's Note:** **This chapter originally included lyrics to a song. The lyrics have since been removed to better follow the rules of this website, as well as allow me to submit the story to a Zootopia fan website for review.**

* * *

CHAPTER TWELVE:

 _"PREY FOR ME"_

* * *

"Call the paramedics!" Judy screamed to the approaching police squad. "We've got a savage!"

A ferocious snarl roared from behind her. She could hear Nick's paws thudding on the pavement as she ran for her life. She made the mistake of looking behind her, reaching for her fox spray – he was right there, teeth snapping with saliva... She tripped on something. It was the bloody body of a Clydesdale horse.

The feral fox lunged at her, seizing his chance! Just in time, Judy sprung her foot out and caught him on the jaw. The predator yelped, tumbling backward. Untangling herself from the body, Judy scrambled back to her feet and bolted. Again reaching for her fox spray, she realized it had fallen out when she'd tripped.

 _Well, can't go back for it now_...

Nick had regained his footing and had resumed chase, guttural sounds resonating from his throat as he quickly closed the gap. He was urged on by the trail of blood dripping from Judy's wounded arm. The spotlight caught back up with the pair, blinding the fox for a second. It was just the distraction Judy needed as she made a sideline toward another ZPD vehicle and the rest of the squad. She hopped up and over the front of the vehicle as the savage predator clumsily slid off just inches behind her! Aggravated, the fox went around, suddenly confronted by Officer McHorn.

The rhino's gun raised a fraction of a second too late, Nick leaping at his arm. The fox bit hard and toppled McHorn backward, the rhino screaming in pain as he fruitlessly discharged his weapon into the air. Nick's mouth now dripping with blood, his head snapped back to the escaping bunny. He left the wounded officer on the ground. The predator resumed the hunt once again.

"Judy, get away!"

Judy was running toward Chief Bogo, directly between him and the hunter behind her. The Chief had his weapon raised, pointed in her direction. Conflict immediately filled the rabbit's mind...

 _He'll try not to kill Nick, but at this angle..._

At this angle and this speed, there was a decent probability he'd hit something vital. Thoughts filled with indecision, adrenaline rushing through her veins, Judy's mind began rocketing into overdrive. Her feet began to slow down as her arms waved in front of her. "Wait! Wait! Don't hurt him! I've got this! Just give me a -"

"Judy! Away! _Now_!"

It all made sense.

Her pressured mind made connections between details she hadn't even paid attention to before. The numbers... the bunnies... the recordings... She came to a standstill, the imminent threat behind her only seconds away. Judy looked up at the Chief with a resolute calmness. Courageously, she took a breath.

"With all due respect-" She turned around and relaxed, facing the predator. "I said I've _got_ this."

The bunny let the fox slam her into the ground, his paws pinning her chest beneath him. With a triumphant growl, the fox opened his jaws. He was about to go for the kill.

"Hey there, Red." Smiling as bravely as she could, her voice shaking, she put a paw on his cheek. "You did it. You've _caught_ me. It's _over_ now..."

The savage fox froze, staring into her eyes. A few agonizingly slow seconds later, his nose began to sniff the air. Following the scent, he brushed his snout against her bloody arm. Ferocity faded into... _alarm_? Nick whimpered, licking at the blood.

"Yeah, that _hurt_ -"

Nick interrupted with a snarl directed up at Bogo, who had approached just a little too close for his liking. The Chief carefully backed up, hooves in the air. The entire squad wore various looks of wonderment. Nick's head darted back and forth, hackles raised, locking fierce gazes upon the surrounding officers. He began growling again, treating each mammal as a looming threat.

"Where are those paramedics!?" yelled Bogo. "I want them here _now!_ "

The predator started working himself back up again, teeth showing threateningly. Nick went flat, covering Judy's body to protect her.

"Ssshhh...! _It's okay_... Sshhhhh..." Judy lightly pet his cheek. " _That's_ it... Good boy..."

Judy continued to soothe the fox. She pet his head and talked in low, gentle tones. They waited for the paramedics to arrive. She surprised herself with a laugh, staring at her feral fox.

 _He's always working every angle... What a sly fox._

Yes, she'd figured it out. Nick had always ended up attacking the plush bunnies, but with each attempt there had been longer times between turning savage and the subsequent attack. He'd recorded the times on his wall. The fox had been training himself, trying to make his predatory instincts recognize her. He'd been so scared of his bite that night – so scared the predator within him might _hurt_ her... He'd tortured himself trying to ensure he _wouldn't_. And the fact that it also made for a great criminal cover?

 _Two birds. One stone._

It was the perfect opportunity. He could try to "tame" himself with an otherwise-illegal substance _and_ hunt down the CCC, all under the direct approval of the ZPD! He'd played _every_ body.

Judy scratched behind Nick's ear.

"I'm not afraid of you, _fox_."

The feral Nick began to pant adorably. Trusting the savage predator had been a risky move; despite having had some success with the experiments, Nick had always eventually mauled the rabbits. Judy had put all her faith in his ability to understand the importance of the real thing...

"...I love you." The words simply came out of her mouth, unplanned and unexpected.

In one astonishing moment, Nick suddenly began rubbing his neck against her body. He was marking her with his scent, claiming her as his own. In the most animal of ways, he was telling the world to back off. This rabbit was _his_ mate.

 _He thinks I'm..._

The private, intimate nature of the act apparently was not lost on their little crowd, either. Surprised whispers came from all sides. Judy's ears began to burn with embarrassment, but her chest filled with a wholesome warmth. She stared in awe at her fox, her eyes turning bittersweet as her inevitable moment of betrayal approached.

" _Ssshhh_... I'm here, Nick. It'll all be okay..."

In a flash of motion, the muzzle was upon him. The paramedics had slowly approached, and were now wrestling the fox to the ground. He snarled and lashed, trying desperately to break free. A needle went into his arm, releasing a sedative into his system. With hurt eyes, the feral fox whimpered at Judy, slowly drifting into sleep...

* * *

The world was dark.

Numbly, Nick tried to move, but... He didn't seem to know _how_. It was as though his limbs didn't exist. There was no breeze, no... _feeling_. It was both soothing and claustrophobic at the same time. The void began to consume his being, to empty his body of consciousness. The fox fought to find any sensation at all. Ears straining to pick up a sound of any sort, he finally caught a deep whisper in the distance...

 _Finnick...?_

No, the sound was tinny, as though it were being played from mediocre speakers. It was a radio host, and he was announcing the next song to be played: "Come With Me Now" by The Kongoroos.

 _Oh, you have got to be kidding me..._

Nick chuckled at his own expense (if it could be called that, the sensation both existing and not existing at the same time). Here he was, seemingly on the verge of nothingness, and he was stuck with whatever music would normally be playing on the radio.

" _What a Wonderful World" would be SO much more poetic...! At least give me THAT._

But there was an odd poetry of its own in this exit. He'd never really been given many choices in his life, had he? He began to let himself drift, accepting the result of the game. As he slipped away, he contentedly focused on the most important choice in life that he'd ever had...

 _Judy..._

Remembering his doe, the fox suddenly grasped her image. Frantically, he tried clawing his way back to consciousness. He _couldn't_ leave her! Not now!

 _Judy!_

It wasn't working. Her image was fading along with whatever sensation he had left. His thoughts were turning dull... fuzzy...

The lyrics in the music became a lifeline, the one true sensation leaking into the void. He followed the sound, pulling the auditory rope tightly as he dragged himself toward it. The radio was getting louder now. Closer. As long as he had that sound... as long as he could focus on it... he had something tangible. Something _real_. And where there was something real... there would be Judy.

There were other noises in the distance, now. Rhythmic beeps, and metallic clatters... Echoing voices, and the buzzing of fluorescent lights. Somewhere, out past the darkness, he was in a room. Yes. That was it... He was lying down, immobile. His mouth had the unmistakable, metallic taste of iron. Of blood...

Far away, he heard her:

"Stay with us now..."

Her voice... Judy's voice! He could hear it! Nick's nostrils began filling with her scent.

With one final tug on the lifeline, Nick's eyes burst open and brought him back into reality. He blinked a few times. The fox was resting in a hospital, tubes hooked up to his body. Judy, dressed in casual clothing, was sitting in a chair beside the bed. Her eyes were closed, listening to the radio playing beside her. Her foot was absentmindedly tapping to the beat.

"I _told_ you your taste in music might kill me, Carrots!" He grinned.

The rabbit's eyes shot wide open. " _Nick!?_ "

"The one and only."

"Oh, _Nick_!"

Before he could speak, Nick's world became full of exuberant, teary-eyed bunny. He laughed, hugging her close. He looked at her... So _happy_...

Finally, Judy sighed. She looked up at Nick with an ornery grin. "Just you wait until I tell Finnick you don't like his music...!"

Nick did a double-take, attempting to recall the radio announcer from his dream. It really _had_ been Finnick? As if to answer his question, the fennec fox's voice spoke from the radio:

"...For all the latest hits, you're listening to A11.3... _The Howl._ "

The fox was stunned.

Judy giggled, continuing. "He has a great voice for it. Really suits him. He's actually been in a few times to see you... You should call him when you feel up to it."

 _He's been in... a few times?_

Nick looked down at the bunny, a little confused. "Wait... Just how long have I been out?"

Judy's ears drooped with sincere relief. "Nick, it's been _ten days_..."

"...What?"

 _How could it have been..._

"You were hit _three times_ , Nick..." As Judy recounted the information, fresh tears began running down her face. "When we tried the antidote... Your body didn't like that very much. There was too much in your system. They didn't know if they could get it _out_ , a-a-and we _almost_... w-we almost _lost_ you, Nick...!"

"Hey! Hey, _shhh_..." The fox rubbed the back of her head in affection, pressing her to his chest. "You can't get rid of me _that_ easily, Fluff."

They both sighed, hugging each other close. During the breath, Nick's nose caught something peculiar... "Hey, uh... Carrots? Why do I smell like you?"

The question elicited a nervous laugh from the doe. "Um, _funny story_... How much do you remember from when you were, uh... savage?"

Nick rubbed his scruff. "Pretty much nothing. General feelings, I suppose..."

 _She... she wasn't afraid of me!_ The memory of that feeling came in loud and clear. Pure amazement plastering his face, the tod intently watched the rabbit as though she were about to perform a magic trick.

"Well, you kinda'... _scent-marked_ me." Judy looked away in embarrassment, paws raised near her mouth.

"I _what_." Unable to register the information, his sentence was so monotone it wasn't even a question.

"In front of the whole squad... broadcast live on TV..."

Nick's ears shot straight up, eyes turning to pinpricks in mortification. His whole body was stiff. "Carrots! I _don't_ , I mean... I'm so s-"

He had been about to say he was sorry, but his face melted into one of suspicion. His nose wiggled pointedly, taking another sniff. The fox wasn't getting the whole story... "Wait. You don't smell like me..."

"Well, _no_..." Judy was grabbing her ears, head turned completely away from him, voice getting quieter. "It's been ten days... It's not like I haven't _washed_ myself since then..."

Unsatisfied, the fox continued to press for the truth. "...And that doesn't explain why _I_ smell like _you_."

Everything about the bunny was bashful, now. "Well, this morning... I may have, _um_..." - there was a long pause - "...scent-marked _you_?"

The fox might've expected a sense of shock to come over him, or perhaps giddiness in its place. Instead, his entire being relaxed with a confidence not even years of hustling could fake. It was a feeling as though everything was just as it should be. He, predator that he was, belonged to this feisty prey. Nick wouldn't have it any other way.

"Judy?"

The bunny turned around, her eyes nervous at what she would find. Nick gave her a warm smile in return.

"Come here, Fluff. Let's do this _right_..."

Bringing her close, Nick began gently rubbing his neck against hers.

 _Just as it should be._


	13. Under My Skin

**Author's Note:** **This chapter has been toned-down from its originally-released version. That has been done to lower the maturity rating of the story so that I could submit it to a Zootopia fan website for review. I feel the original version wasn't X-rated, but it most certainly was R-rated. The original version of the story now lives on AO3. (All that is missing is some talk about fox anatomy.)**

* * *

EPILOGUE:

 _"UNDER MY SKIN"_

* * *

 _Is what I'm wearing okay? How about my ears... Do my ears look good?_

Judy was a little ball of nerves, questioning every detail of herself. The bunny was currently standing outside of Nick's apartment holding a brown pastry box, finding herself hesitating on knocking. This was their first official date, and despite having gone through _much_ bigger things with him than this she still was anxious about the whole evening.

 _Sure, it's his place... A bit more intimate. But he's a fairly private male. He'll be more comfortable around me this way._

Judy looked down at her t-shirt and sweatpants, second-guessing the wardrobe decision.

 _He said we were having pizza and cider. Really, Jude. It's not some romantic evening..._

A voice called out from somewhere through the door, clearly amused. "Stop standing there and just come in already, Carrots!"

 _How did he...?_

"I can hear your foot thumping," he continued, almost as if he could see her expression. "Seriously, I'm not going to bite. Well... unless you _want me to..._ "

Hot with guilty embarrassment at how casually the tod had yelled that out, Judy lost all former restraint and barged into the apartment... Only to find mood lighting. And candles. And champagne glasses on the table. It was all so romantic, you could almost fail to notice the claw marks still marring the surfaces of the apartment.

 _But didn't he say...?_

When asking her question, she was careful to mask any tone that might suggest she had been thrown off-guard. "I thought you said we were having pizza...?"

"Mm-hm." The affirmation came from the direction of the kitchen. "Can't you smell it? Should be done any minute now."

Judy's nose wiggled as she made her way toward the kitchen to greet Nick. Yes, she could smell something that was very likely pizza...

 _It smells heavenly!_

Nick was currently bent down behind a counter after some utensil, out of the rabbit's sight. On the counter were used bowls, flour, a rolling pin... The fox had made their dinner entirely from scratch, sauce and all! Judy's sight caught the bottle resting on the dining table; it was indeed cider, but it was fancy, spiced cider aged in bourbon barrels. Judy suddenly felt _very_ tricked, and _very_ under-dressed! He'd led her to believe tonight was going to be laid-back, casual...

 _Sometimes the best lie is the truth, Jude._

Full-chested, conceited laughter broke out from the kitchen. Nick had stepped out from behind the counter and was looking _very_ pleased with himself. He was wearing a suit! Wait... no he wasn't. He was wearing black shorts and a t-shirt printed to _look_ like a suit, bow-tie and all. It was perhaps _the_ _stupidest_ thing she'd ever seen the predator wear! (And, if she were honest, he wore a _lot_ of stupid things.)

"You should _see your face_ ," he bragged. Then he remembered something, snapping his digits. "Oh, _shoot_...!"

The fox began walking across the room in front of her, holding his paws up in her direction. "Okay, wait. One sec'. Forgot something..."

Nick slid a record out of a sleeve and placed it in the player, turning it on. Gently lowering the needle, the music hissed to life. A deep, jazzy song began to play. Fang Sinatra. Nick spun around, a jokingly suave look on his face. He began smoothly walking toward Judy in his ludicrous outfit, singing along. He was surprisingly on-key.

"I've got _you_... under my skin! I've got _you_... deep in the heart of me!"

Judy's expectations for the date completely fell apart, crumbling in the form of laughter. The fox's ridiculous ploy had worked like a charm. The conflicting extremes of the date tore down any bothersome preconceptions in very effective manner. The message was clear: _Just enjoy this_. Judy scoffed adoringly. "You're an _idiot_."

Sly satisfaction on his face, Nick made his way back to the kitchen. " _You_ know you love me. Now have a seat, Fluff. I think it's done."

The tod brought out two individually-sized pizzas and served them at the table; hers was roasted garlic, basil, and sun-dried tomato; his was turkey-pepperoni and mushroom. They were mouth-watering! (Well, hers more than his, due to his meat.) Nick popped the cork off the cider, pouring each of them a glass. Judy raised an eyebrow – it was not lost on her that for once he'd actually poured _himself_ a drink, too. She placed her pastry box on the table and began to grab a slice of her pizza.

"Oooo... What's _that_ I smell?" Nick's nose started to lean in closer to the box. "Some sort of... _fruity -_ "

Judy swatted him back with a paw, pushing the box further away on the table for emphasis. "It's _dessert_. So paws off until later!"

Nick gave her a disgruntled look, like a kit who'd been told to eat their vegetables. With acceptance, he turned back to his pizza and began to pick up a slice. "I didn't know you baked."

"I don't." The words were hardly detectable around Judy finishing her first delectable bite, all proper etiquette at the table having been thrown out the window. She washed it down with a sip of cider, then continued. "But I know a fox who does."

"Mm." Nick licked his paw, having downed his first slice in ravenous fashion. "Do I need to be jealous?"

"Of _Gideon_? No." The bunny took a pause to eat more of her pizza, amused. "Although... if you were jealous it'd be kinda' cute. _Obnoxious_ , but cute."

Nick finished drinking some of his cider. "Well, now. Can't have _that_. Obnoxious, maybe... But _cute_? That's more your gig than mine, Toot-Toot."

The fox yelped, grabbing his foot. Judy smirked. Punching may have been off-limits at the dinner table, but rabbits were still well-known for their feet. She pointedly returned to her food as if nothing had happened. Nick made a look as though he were going to protest, then thought better of it.

 _Ah. So the fox CAN be taught._

The rest of the meal went in relative peace as they made small talk, mostly talking about work to pass the time. Once they'd had their fill, Nick took their dishes and put them in the sink, grabbing new plates and utensils for their dessert. Judy could hardly hold back her excitement, body bouncing a little in anticipation as she pawed the box over to her fox. Her ears were up, mouth grinning.

 _Oh, he's going to love this!_

"Is this spring-loaded, or something?" Nick eyed her eagerness with the vigilance of a street-smart mammal. He pushed the box across the table. "Maybe _you_ should open it."

Judy groaned, pushing it back with insistence. "Just open it, Slick!"

Submitting to his fate, the tod cautiously began to pry the flaps of the box open with the tips of his claws. Then, in one quick motion, he opened the box and resignedly scrunched his face. After disaster failed to strike, Nick slowly opened his eyes to peer into the box. His face began to light up.

"It's a blueberry pie." he stated plainly.

Judy gave him a smug look, his sarcastic ways rubbing off on her. "Very _good_. Glad to know your eyes are still working."

The predator gave her a proud glance for her rejoinder, but quickly resumed being transfixed by the dessert in front of him. Judy had to stifle a snicker at Nick's swelling, childlike glee; over the edge of the table the bunny could see the tod's tail swishing back and forth, wagging. He looked back up, ears raised with a wide, slightly-open, toothy grin. Everything about the look screamed "Can I?"

 _No, Nick_. Judy internally harassed the tod for the unspoken question. _I brought the pie here just so that you could stare longingly at it._

The rabbit crossed her arms and tilted her head with an eyebrow up. "How come you never look at _me_ like that, _hm_?"

Nick regained his composure, eyes half-lidded and eyebrows raised. "Oh, you're a _different_ kind of treat..."

The predator unambiguously licked his lips for emphasis. Judy internally shivered, body faintly tingling. She'd been temporarily disarmed.

 _Not fair! That was a dirty move!_

"Ha." Nick unfortunately caught that he'd been successful. He mercifully didn't push it, too focused on the more important matter of dishing out the fruity delicacy before them. With a slice in front of each of them, the mammals picked up their forks. Judy made sure to watch as he took his first bite.

 _Moment of truth..._

"This..." Nick's eyes blinked with surprise, his ears drooping backward as a wave of nostalgia washed over the fox. "This tastes like..."

Judy tenderly finished his sentence for him. "...Your _mother's_."

"I... I never could get it _right_." The fox's eyes flitted across her face as though searching for something, eyebrows furrowing with sincerity. "Judy... _Thank you_."

Judy gently smiled. She decided not to risk ruining the moment by talking, instead opting to take a bite for herself. The pie really _was_ quite exceptional...

 _Good job, Jude! Home run._

But when she looked back up from her slice of pie, she was confused. Her fox wasn't eating. He simply sat there, staring at her intently, fork loosely held in one paw. He seemed to come to some sort of decision, placing his fork down on his plate in a conclusive gesture. "You know what? This can wait."

The tod stood up from his chair, walking over to Judy. She became concerned at his sudden indifference to the treat... She looked up at him, putting her fork down. "Is... something wrong?"

"No. Quite the opposite, Fluff." Nick held out a paw. "Come on."

Judy grabbed on, allowing herself to get escorted out of her chair. "So it _is_ _good_ , then?"

"Oh, yes! One of the best things I've ever _tasted_ , but..." Nick began leading her toward the bedroom. "...Right now I think I'm more in the mood for _rabbit_."

Judy swallowed hard, her body suddenly becoming warm and heavy.

 _...Oh._

* * *

"Carrots, I do believe we're _stuck_."

Nick lovingly looked down at the rabbit beneath him, her satisfied breath tickling the fur on his chest. He suddenly found himself very _proud,_ seeing her like that...

"What...?" Judy began coming out of her daze, her panting slowing. She followed his gaze further down between them. "Oh yeah... _That._ "

Nick's face turned impressively smug. " _That good_ , huh?"

Judy tensed as she realized her mistake. She glared. "Shut it!"

 _But she didn't deny it_... Nick vainly noted. _I was mind-blowing!_

"Oh don't you dare..." The rabbit pointed at his pleased mug. "This is _not_ going to your head."

An idea came to the tod.

"Tell you what..." – Nick's voice glistened with mischievous intention. – "I won't let it get to my head... so long as you let me _eat yours_!"

The fox ferociously began nibbling the top of the bunny's head and ears, eliciting shrieks of laughter from the trapped doe! The ruthless predator showed no remorse as he seemingly wore the prey into tired submission. However, nefarious as he was, the hunter had made a key tactical error: The bunny was in perfect position to retaliate, tickling his vulnerably exposed belly. The two yelped and squirmed, neither able to escape their hopeless battle. Finally, exhausted from the roughhousing and from their... _other_ activities, the two collapsed. They called a truce.

"Okay, Slick..." Judy was out of breath. "If you can't get off of me, at least roll over. I really need some air..."

Nick obliged, the covers rustling as they switched positions. The fox wiggled slightly to better place his head on a pillow. He looked down his chest at his rabbit, at ease. "There. Better?"

"Much..." She savored her breaths, chin on his chest, reaching up to rub a paw on his shoulder. The bunny turned her head to the side and relaxed; something she saw from that angle made her laugh, immediately forgetting about her predicament. "You really _do_ like old things!"

Nick turned his head in confusion, realizing she was looking at a book on his nightstand. The fox quickly became appalled. "What? That's a _classic_ , Carrots! Don't _tell_ me you haven't read it..."

 _Cheese and crackers... she hasn't!_

"I can't believe you...! You'd _love_ it! Crime... _adventure_..." The fox nudged the two of them a little closer to the stand and grabbed the book, finally solving the issue of what to do while they waited. "Here. Snuggle up, Carrots. It's about time I started teaching you about the _finer_ things in life..."

He received no complaint from the doe, who simply cuddled deeper into his fur. He smiled at her as she relaxed with a cute, contented sigh. Did he love this bunny?

Yes.

Yes he did.

Clearing his throat, the fox slowly turned to the first page, his voice becoming soothing as he began to narrate:

" _The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Hooves_ , by Sir Aardvark Conan Doyle..."

Her ears were attentive to his every word.

* * *

 **...And with that, the story has officially come to a close! I sincerely thank you, the reader, for trusting me and seeing it all the way to its end. It is my hope that you found it worth your time. (** **The chapter after this one is a "Bonus Chapter" which also announces the release of the sequel.)**

 **Finally, thanks again to my readers and my reviewers! Seeing people enjoy this has been a real treat.**

 **-TheWaywardKid**


	14. A Place Of Beginnings

**Dear Reader,**

 **Surprise! Due to popular demand and a sudden fit of inspiration while listening to music, I'm excited to announce that I've begun releasing a sequel to "Animal Instinct"! The new project is currently underway, and is being released as a separate story under the title "Birth of Angel". I have begun posting the new arc as a separate story for the following reasons:**

 **1.) Although "Birth of Angel" will play off of the events and character developments from "Animal Instinct", it will have its own clear story that will work well enough on its own.**

 **2.)** " **Animal Instinct" originally had an "M" rating because I felt it required it (which has since been toned down for the version on this site). I wanted to give the sequel a "T" rating.**

 **3.) The sequel, "Birth of Angel", will have much larger ramifications on the characters and world of Zootopia. Some might be excited by that, while others might rather leave the characters where they currently are at the end of "Animal Instinct".**

 **4.)** " **Animal Instinct" is very much a completed story. I'll be starting the sequel with much less prep, so the releases are going to be much slower and more sporadic. My goal, of course, will be to finish it in a somewhat reasonable time-frame, but... I can't promise that in the same way I did for "Animal Instinct".**

 **Finally, I have included a bonus chapter below for your enjoyment (and to give more purpose to this update). If you're not sure you want to read the sequel, you may want to consider waiting on reading this chapter. This chapter is not an "ending" like the Epilogue was, nor is it really a "beginning" to the next story. Rather, it serves as a flavorful bridge between the two.**

 **And, as always, thank you all for the support!**

 **-TheWaywardKid**

* * *

BONUS CHAPTER:

" _A PLACE OF BEGINNINGS"_

* * *

It was a warm, breezy evening on the outskirts of Zootopia. Animals everywhere had returned home to their loved-ones after a hard day's work, the sun beginning to cast a subdued glow as it drew ever closer to the horizon. The bright globe currently began to nestle itself in-between the distant, glistening skyscrapers as the fluffy clouds above gained a tint of pastel color. Nick took a deep breath, enjoying the quaint mixture of scents drifting through the air: Warm dirt, fresh air, a faint hint of gasoline, and a motley of dinners being cooked within the various houses around him. It smelled of simplicity.

It smelled of home.

The fox did not recall why he had taken a stroll through this particular neighborhood, nor really how his feet had brought him here. To most, there would be no reason to visit this shabby mobile-home park; the place contained no amenities or attractions worth mentioning. There weren't even any sidewalks. The only reason for its existence was to provide residence for the less fortunate of families as they scratched out a meager, yet comfortable life for their budding youngsters. This was not a place one visited to obtain anything. This was a place to make a start.

In fact, this very neighborhood had been _his_ start.

 _It hardly feels real_... he thought solemnly. _It feels so long ago. Too long ago..._

The familiarity of the cracked streets clashed with the foreign sense of distance learned from years of absence and denial. Everything was just as it was back then, only now the simple comfort of it all evoked indescribable feelings. This was the remnants of a life that was, or a life that could be. Nick shuffled his feet, paws in his pockets, enjoying the subtle hope that came with such a place. To him, _this_ was Zootopia, not the slick towers in the distance. The city's motto came to mind:

 _Anyone can be anything_.

No mammals felt that motto stronger than those that lived here. Anyone could be anything, and despite the odds these mammals could be a _family_. These were the mammals who dared to make a future for themselves even when the shine of the city did its best to blind them. The hope of the place did not come from dreams of glamour or prosperity... It came from the satisfaction of life itself. "Anything" was not a promise, but a reason for being. These mammals would take anything they could get, and they would make it work.

"Easy there, kiddo!"

A warm chuckle came from a rickety playground off to Nick's side. He remembered that playground, the late evenings spent with his father after he'd made the long commute home from the city... As if to highlight the memory, the cheerful noise he'd heard had come from two foxes at the structure – a father and a son. The young pup was perhaps four or five years old, currently yipping gleefully as he attempted to climb up the slide from the wrong end. The father sat in the chips of bark at the bottom to catch the child should he slip.  
"What are you doing, huh?" the father playfully asked his kit to the response of mischievous giggles. "Don't you know that's the wrong way? Did I teach you to do that? I don't _think_ so..."

"Yes!" The child's shrill laughter grew as he took a few precarious steps further up the slide. "Yes you did!"

Nostalgia enraptured Nick, drawing the tod closer to the scene. A wistful smile came to his face, his eyelids drooping. He began to let himself vicariously relive his childhood through the two foxes before him. Digging his paws further into his pockets and slouching backwards, Nick sighed. The father's ears flicked as he heard the sigh behind him, his head turning toward Nick with a proud smile. The father's amber eyes shined with paternal satisfaction.

Nick's heart felt like it had stopped beating as he recognized the face. The face belonged to the past, to the name of Jackson Wilde. It was the face of his father.

 _No... No it can't be..._

Jackson turned back to respond to the kit. "Now wait just a second, Nicky! _You_ know what we do to liars around here..."

With a sly grin, Jackson grabbed little Nicky by the hind paw and dragged the kit down the slide, a delighted squeal echoing between the nearby houses. As Jackson ruffled his kid's head and ears, he was oblivious to the car that had just pulled up next to the playground. Nick stood there, frozen, unable to interfere with the scene before him.

 _Please, no! Not again! Just run. Don't hesitate. Just grab me and run..._

As if by some deep, protective animal instinct, Jackson felt the danger and his hair stood on end. He rose to his feet with a look of horror, understanding reaching his face a few moments too late as the rear window of the vehicle rolled down. The fuzzy hoof of a young Clydesdale horse reached out the window. It held a gun. With one final look of panic toward his startled son, Jackson screamed.

"Nick! _RUN!_ "

Three gunshots pounded the air with brutal simplicity, sending the father down into the bark with a limp, wet thud. The scent of burnt rubber filled the air as the car peeled away with a screech, drowning out the pleasant scents that had just filled Nick's nose only moments before. One scent overrode even that, however: The sickening scent of fresh blood.

"Nick..."  
Jackson's voice gurgled as he painfully twisted his head to look at his terrified pup. As the life began to fade from his amber eyes, a calm smile appeared on the father. His kit was safe...

Nick began to stumble toward the memory before him, unable to breath. His younger self shook and cried as more and more blood seeped into the bark floor of the once-happy playground, sirens beginning to echo in the distance. Nick's dad was dead.  
 _Please... just get up. This one time, just get up..._

As if to answer his prayers, Jackson's body began to convulse. His father's dead eyes faded green in color, slitting savagely... The pouring red blood turned a stark blue. Growls and snarls erupted from the once-dead corpse, and suddenly Nick's younger self had been replaced with a familiar bunny. Judy rushed to the side of the now-savage predator.

"No! Nick... don't do this. Fight it!"

A small white figure appeared at the top of the playground's slide, a Night Howler gun in her hoof. Bellwether's taunting voice called out to the pair of animals below.

"Oh, but he can't help it, _can_ he? Since he was hit _three times_... Gosh! Do you really think they got it _all_ out of his system?"

Judy frantically bolted up the slide as the feral fox clumsily scratched and slid at the bottom, saliva dripping with anticipation. The sheep chuckled evilly and delivered a swift kick to Judy's face, sending her sliding toward the eager hunter below.

"Bye-bye, bunny..."

 _No! Please!_

Nick helplessly watched as his savage self began digging his claws and teeth into the rabbit he loved, sending a blood-curdling shriek to his ears as white fluff ripped from her chest rather than blood. The predator tore into the bunny like the living plush toy she was.

 _Help! Somebody! Please help!_

Nick tried to call out but found his face locked with a muzzle. He desperately pawed at the restraint, watching in agony as Judy was ruthlessly mauled before him.

 _Help!_

Bellwether turned to look straight at Nick with a smirk.

"Awww... Is he gonna' _cry?_ "

* * *

...

"HELP!"

Judy's sleeping body was flung off Nick's chest as he awoke with a start, the rabbit sent tumbling off the bed and onto the cold floor. Senses racing with alert, Judy righted herself as her mind gained its bearings. She looked up at the fox in the dark, the light from the rain-streaked window illuminating his bloody face and paws. Her breath stopped. His pupils were slit...

"Nick..?"

She blinked to get a better view, relief briefly filling her system as she realized she'd been mistaken – Nick's eyes were normal.

 _It must have been a trick of the light..._

The blood, however, had _not_ been a mirage. Urgency refilled her veins.

"Nick! Nick, are you okay!?"

The fox's voice sputtered incoherently as he looked at his trembling paws with fright, warm liquid dripping from his bloody nose. Judy patted the air with her paws in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. "Just... just a sec. I'll be right back."

She ran into the bathroom, grabbing a box of tissues and the small waste basket next to the toilet. When she returned and flicked on the light, she found her fox hugging his knees, tears dampening the fur on his cheeks. Judy's ears fell as she gently walked over next to the bed. She silently offered the tod the tissues.

"I..." Nick tried to speak. "I _dreamed_..."

"Ssshhh..." The bunny hopped up onto the bed next to the fox, rubbing his shoulder for comfort. "Clean up first. Take your time..."

It took a pawful of tissues before Nick's bloody nose began to subside. Judy tenderly aided her fox, grabbing some tissues of her own to dab off some of the blood from his fur. With the flow ceased, Judy wrapped an arm across Nick's chest, slowly dragging him back down onto his pillow. The action had her desired effect, unwinding the tod from his tense ball of fear. She didn't know precisely what had made him this way, but given what she knew of his past she could take a few good guesses. She made no motion to pry, simply hugging the fox tightly as he trembled in her arms. It took a long time for her caring embrace to soothe Nick; just when Judy would think he'd shivered for the last time, a new fit would start. The minutes slowly ticked by as more rain pattered against the bedroom window.

"I..." Nick gulped down some spit, finally attempting to speak again.

Judy rubbed his chest with a paw, purring softly for reassurance. "You don't have to explain, Nick."

"It's just..." Nick slowly blew his held breath out toward the ceiling above him. "Everything bad... It's all starting to blur together."

Judy cupped a paw on his snout and brought it closer, grooming his salty cheek with her small rabbit tongue. "Good..."

Nick nervously laughed. Her affectionate ministrations tickled him, but he clearly wasn't about to stop her. He squinted an eye at her comment in confusion, though. Judy stopped grooming and smiled, pulling his head to fully face her. The bunny leaned in and gave him a short, sweet kiss.

"If everything bad is all together, it will be that much easier for me to make it all go away."

Nick groaned, his humor finally beginning to resurface. "That was cheesy, Carrots. Even for me. Don't tell me I'm rubbing off on you..."

"Too late, you dumb fox..." Judy leaned in and rubbed her neck against his. "...You left your scent."

Nick's chest rumbled as he pulled Judy on top of him, their breathing growing heavy as they continued to mark each other. Their bodies warmed as their nostrils were filled with each other's fragrance... It was Judy who broke it off, bringing Nick in for a passionate kiss as she grabbed and massaged the base of his tail. She gently bit his lower lip and made her best attempt at a growl. The fox gave a gruff moan of approval, reaching up to massage the tip of her left ear. With his other paw, Nick slowly dragged a claw down her back. She shivered...

With an ornery grin, Nick suddenly stopped and snatched the book off of the nightstand. "Okay! Story time!"

"What!?" Judy's ears shot up with stunned disappointment. Nick laughed behind the paperback copy of Nancy Shrew (the current book she had chosen for them to read).

"Come on, Carrots. We both know reading's your favorite part anyways. Might as well skip to it."

Judy purposely drooped her ears, slowly dragging a paw in circles on Nick's chest to emphasize her dismay. "But... I like what comes before, too! It's just not the same without it..."

"Mmmm..." the tod rumbled, almost willing to give in. "You know... You don't have to bribe me to read to you."

" _Nicholas Piberius Wilde!_ " Judy gasped in fake shock. "I thought I'd never see the day! Since when have you started refusing payment for your services?"

Nick tilted his head, wearing his obnoxiously wonderful smile. "What can I say, Fluff? I'm a changed mammal!"

"Uh-huh." Judy put her paws on her hips in clear disbelief. "Since _when?_ "

Nick leaned in and put his nose against hers. His stare turned from sly to loving.

"...Since I met _you_."

* * *

 **If you'd like to continue with the story, please start reading "Birth of Angel"! I will not be updating the story here, as mentioned previously.**


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